Ribollita

I wanted to make a soup for dinner so I would have an excuse to make another loaf of bread. I recently checked out a few cookbooks from the library and I found a recipe for Ribollita in Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis. The soup looked hearty, comforting and simple. I didn't have spinach so I used kale and I really enjoyed the texture it gave to the soup. I paired the ribollita with Marjie's Honey Lemon Wheat Bread and my House Salad for a delicious and filling meal.

Ribollita:

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 oz of pancetta, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2-3 cups of fresh kale, chopped
• 1 15 oz can of white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 6 cups of chicken broth (I used homemade)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 inch piece of Parmesan rind
• 1 cup whole wheat spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces
• Grated Parmesan, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and pancetta; cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender then add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, dried basil and dried oregano then stir until dissolved. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, cannellini beans, kale, Parmesan rind, and bay leaf.

Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes then bring to a boil, add the spaghetti, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Taste and re season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net