Cavatelli Pasta

E.A.T. # 25 Soup Lovers Leftover-Turkey Noodle Soup

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 2 Comments

I love soup…cold soup in the summer, chili at the first sign of fall and hearty hot soups all winter long. Soups make me feel cozy and safe. Healthy and homey.

It’s as easy as this to make a “soup” lunch or dinner in under an hour. Leftover holiday turkey meat, some vegetables, noodles, broth and herbs are all you need. Gruyere cheese melted on slices of bread round out the meal.

Any noodles you like will work fine. Long spaghetti noodles, or macaroni or you can even break up a few lasagna noodles to toss into the pot. I used some Strozzapreti I picked up at Eataly the last time I was in Chicago. These noodles, somewhat like Cavatelli,  are short, sturdy, rolled and are good for holding juices and sauce.

A leftover over roasted turkey breast from Thanksgiving, a few cans of tomatoes, carrots and onions, broth and herbs are the other basic ingredients.

One of my favorite winter lunches is enjoying a good bowl of hot soup while catching up on my reading or looking at art books or magazines. We all need some time to be quiet and alone,  letting our thoughts wander and weave about randomly. I find this is when I work things out in my head or absorb and develop new ideas for projects. Try it.

This is more of an “idea of soup” than an actual “must follow” recipe. Use what you like and what you have on hand. No rules, just tasty ingredients. It really is as Easy as This….Stay warm.

Soup Lovers Leftover-Turkey Noodle Soup

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: very easy
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Ingredients:

  • 2-4 cups chopped or shredded turkey or chicken meat
  • a splash of olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped or sliced
  • 3 cans fire-roasted tomatoes with juice
  • 4 cups low sodium/fat chicken broth
  • fresh thyme leaves or any herbs you prefer
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups short pasta noodles such as cavatelli, macaroni or strozzapretti

Directions:

  1. Cook the pasta noodles very al dente in a pot of salted water, drain and set aside.
  2. Add a splash of olive oil to a soup pot and heat over medium high heat. Toss into the pot the chopped  onion and carrots. Cook until onions are transparent.
  3. To the pot add the tomatoes and chicken broth, turkey or chicken meat, fresh thyme leaves and other herbs, salt and black pepper. Bring to a low boil. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
  4. Right before serving add the al dente pasta noodles to the hot soup. Serve with slices of good bread toasted with Gruyere cheese on top.

Stay cozy and warm.

teresablackburnfoodstyling.com    foodonfifth.com

 

 

 

Stove-Top Slow-Roasted Tomato-Basil Sauce with Ricotta Cavatelli

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 19 Comments

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The days are longer and hotter. Dusk holds on to the last warm rays, squeezing out every drop of light until there is none left. These times are for simple suppers that are a pleasure to prepare with no oven involved. Just a few fresh ingredients and a chilled bottle of wine for a June Saturday evening.

A couple of pints of cherry tomatoes, freshly cut basil and shallots are the basics of this recipe for “Stove-Top Slow-Roasted Tomato-Basil Sauce with Fresh Ricotta Cavatelli”.

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I wandered into Lazzaroli’s Pasta & Italian Market last week seeking an idea for supper. I bought three types of pasta including this freshly made Ricotta Cavatelli.  This little rolled  pasta, which is like a dumpling,  has just the right shape to hold the sauce while on its way to your mouth.

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The two pints of cherry tomatoes were left over from a photo shoot the week before…various kinds all mixed together which I cut in half.

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Diced shallots slow-roasted over low heat in a splash of good olive oil until almost caramelized to which I added the tomatoes.

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After a half hour of pan roasting I added the fresh basil leaves, a pinch of salt & black pepper.

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 Tossed with the fresh Ricotta Cavatelli and Parmigiano Reggiano, a crusty loaf for sopping and a chilled Italian white made an ideal warm weather supper.

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“Buon Appetito Y’all”

Stove-Top Slow-Roasted Tomato-Basil Sauce with Ricotta Cavatelli

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp good quality olive oil
  • 3 shallots, small dice
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half saving the juices
  • sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup water or broth
  • 8 ounces Cavatelli (or similar pasta)
  • freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a heavy pan. Add shallots & garlic. Leave on heat, stirring every now and then until shallots are almost softened.
  2. Add cherry tomato halves to pan and stir to coat with oil. Turn heat to low. Leave on heat for about 30 minutes, stirring often. The tomatoes will begin to “melt” creating a sauce. Add 1/4 cup water or broth and continue cooking stirring often while you cook the pasta.
  3. Bring a pan of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add Cavatelli and stir. Cook for about 8 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta in a colander.
  4. To the sauce add a handful of roughly chopped fresh basil leaves stirring to blend.Remove pan from heat.
  5. Add drained pasta to the pan of sauce.  Stir gently to coat the pasta with the sauce, adding some of the pasta water if need be to thin it out.
  6. Serve with a generous dusting of fresh Parmigiano.

Note: This was just one of the best and easy sauces I have ever made. The perfect pasta storm.

Recipe: Teresa Blackburn June 2015