Noodle Soup!

Today you're going to learn how to make a delicious dish of noodle soup. The only thing I changed up in this recipe was the type of bean because I don't have a trader joes near me that might have it. But according to this substitute website pinto beans should've worked fine. This recipe takes a while to make but most of the time it's on the stove simmering; so make sure you have something to do for 2 hours. This is on page 90 of  Domenica Marchetti's book 'The glorious PASTA of Italy.'

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of canned pinto bean (or cranberry/borlotti beans if you can find them)
• 3 ounces of Bacon
• 1 celery rib finely chopped
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 large cloves of garlic passed through a garlic press
• 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, minced
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 8 cups of water
• Fine sea salt
• generous pinch of red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces of dried fettuccine

Time for the Fun!

Step 1: Wash your hands and prepare the food by mincing the bacon and onion, chopping up the celery, and pouring a half cup of olive oil. Also in a small bowl mix the minced garlic and rosemary to make a paste.

     

Step 2: Drain the canned pinto beans and pour them into either a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot with lid. Then add bacon, onion, celery, and garlic and rosemary mixture. drizzle olive oil over it and stir. Pour in water and place over medium high heat bringing it to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 2 hours.

   



Step 3: Once that's done let it cool for 5-10 minutes, then season the soup with salt and red pepper flakes and bring the soup to a boil on medium-high heat. once it's boiling stir in the pasta  and cook it at a gentle boil for 15-20 minutes. (avoid the noodles sticking together by stirring it enough) (also avoid the sauce looking gross by not keeping them in the sauce too long)

 

Step 4: serve and Enjoy!

This pasta was easy but it just took a while to prepare everything and then a lot of waiting around. But in this recipe the only thing I'd recommend not putting the noodles in with the soup because that's what made the soup all mushy and what made me cringe. Although I didn't "appreciate the warmth and comfort that a bowl of this substantial soup can deliver," (Marchetti 90) I bet if you do it right it's delicious. Good luck!

Question: What's your favorite kind of pasta and why?


Marchetti, Domenica. The Glorious Pasta of Italy. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle, 2011. Print.