This Italian vegetable soup is thinner than minestrone and thickened with tiny pasta.
SERVES 4 GENEROUSLY
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 oz. slice of prosciutto (about 1/4 inch thick), roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup lard (or 2 Tbs. butter and 2 Tbs. olive oil)
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 12 large fresh basil leaves
- 2 quarts homemade or lower-salt chicken broth
- 1/2 cup stelline, orzo, acini di pepe, or other tiny soup pasta
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1/2 cup finely diced carrot
- 1/2 cup finely diced fennel
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges
- Freshly ground Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Blend prosciutto, lard, onion, garlic, and basil in a food processor until minced, or chop finely with a knife. Cook the mixture over medium heat in a saucepan until onions are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add pasta. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add peas, carrot, and fennel, simmering until pasta and vegetables are just tender, about another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle Parmigiano on top.
KEEP PASTA FIRM IN SOUP:
- For the best-tasting soup, it’s crucial that the pasta stay firm and doesn’t get mushy. But pasta naturally soaks up water, and it will continue to soak up whatever broth it’s sitting in, even after the soup is done. There are a few ways to minimize this. Before you add the pasta, make sure the soup is almost done. Everything else in the soup should finish cooking in about the same short time that the pasta needs to cook. The best way to check is by tasting. If there are beans in the broth, be sure that they’re almost completely tender before adding the pasta. Then, once the pasta is cooked, take the soup off the heat and serve it right away. When freezing the soup to eat another time, cook the pasta only halfway. Or, omit the pasta until you’re ready to reheatt he soup, which you should do gently to cook the pasta. If you need to thin the soup, just add a little water until it’s the consistency you like.
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:
- 300 CALORIES | 14g PROTEIN | 22g CARB | 17g TOTAL FAT | 7g SAT FAT | 7g MONO FAT | 2g POLY FAT | 25mg CHOL | 840mg SODIUM | 3g FIBER
