I know what I am doing tonight!

The great thing about the internet is that at my fingertips are recipes galore! Some of my favorite places to get recipes are other people's blogs, and also some great food related websites. I have a whole list of links under 'food' that i recommend you just take a look at. And not only are there great recipes, but articles about food and everything culinary. I think right now if I had the money, I would go back to Paris and take a cooking class by some mastor chef! Then he would yell at me in French and make me do trivial tasks like whisking egg whites to a glossy peeked perfection... Almost like Mr. Miyagi did with Daniel Son, wax on-- wax off! And right when i would want to give up and say, "What's the point Chef?"... I will have then created the most light and airy souffle ever made! Sweep the leg Johnny!
Tonight i am making soup from a recipe I found on Culinate. Pasta and Bean Soup. Sounds hearty and heart warming. Then I will watch LOST. Perfect Night.

Pasta and Bean Soup (Pasta e Fagioli)
By Carrie Floyd, from the Culinate Kitchen collection
Serves 10
Introduction
This makes a large pot, perfect for tucking a container or two into the freezer. Just don’t add the pasta to the soup pot; instead cook it to order. I adapted this from Rogers & Gray Italian Country Cook Book.
Ingredients
1½ cups borlotti (cranberry) beans
~Extra-virgin olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
3 cups chopped celery, leaves included
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1
small dried red chile pepper, crumbled (or a large pinch of red chile flakes)
1 large sprig rosemary, leaves removed from the branch and finely chopped
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
2 to 3 slices smoked bacon, diced
1 large can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice
~ Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 oz. dried pasta (use any small shape, such as penne or orecchiette, that cups sauce well)
~ Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Steps
Soak the beans overnight in a large saucepan. When ready to cook pour off the soaking liquid then cover the beans with fresh water, two inches over the top of the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook partially covered until the beans are done (tender but not mushy). Turn off the heat and set aside.
In a large soup pot, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Sauté chopped onions, celery, and carrots over medium heat until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, chile pepper, rosemary, parsley, and bacon. Sauté, stirring, until the bacon is cooked through. Add the chopped tomatoes with the juice and continue cooking, 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a blender purée half of the cooked beans with a little of the cooking liquid. Add this purée along with the rest of the cooked beans to the soup pot. Adjust the liquid — adding bean broth and/or water — to the consistency you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta — a handful per person if you are not serving the entire amount in one sitting — until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain.
Serve by scooping a large spoonful of pasta into each bowl, then covering with soup. If you like, garnish each soup bowl with freshly grated Parmesan.
Notes

Comments

Gracie said…
I just wanna be Sabrina for a wee while and take time to find great recipes and cook. Waaah. Maybe next week! :-)
Sabrina said…
hmmmm... be careful what you wish for! :)

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