Expect ladles of flavour in this warming pot of soup. MINI BEEF RAVIOLI floats within a sea of vegies – sopped up with home-baked pesto garlic bread.
This Italian wedding soup is a wonderful marriage of MEAT, VEGIES AND BROTH, culminating in a soul-warming bowl of pure flavour-packed bliss.
Short tube pasta like ditalini (also known as ‘little thimbles’) is a lovely substitute for macaroni. It’s typically used in RUSTIC ITALIAN SOUPS like pasta e fagioli and minestrone.
PASTA E FAGIOLI
SERVES 4
You’ll love how the sauce envelops this pasta. When shopping, look for firm, smooth beans.
20g chopped shio kombu (seasoned kelp, from Asian grocers)
1.5kg fresh borlotti beans, podded (or 600g podded beans)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to serve
3 eschalots, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
400g can diced tomatoes
2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock
400g ditalini pasta (from specialty grocers and delis)
½ bunch basil, leaves picked, torn
Finely grated parmesan, to serve
Place half the shio kombu in a medium saucepan with 4 cups (1L) water and bring to the boil. Remove kombu with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add borlotti beans to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25-30 minutes until beans are tender.
Use a slotted spoon to remove beans from the pan. Reserve one-quarter of the beans. Place remaining beans and 2 cups of the cooking liquid (reserve remaining liquid) in a blender. Whiz until smooth.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Add eschalot and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, for 12-15 minutes until caramelised. Add remaining 10g shio kombu, soaked shio kombu and tomato. Simmer, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until thickened slightly.
Add borlotti bean puree and vegetable stock to the pan. Bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes or until warmed through.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 6 minutes, or until al dente. Drain well, then add to the soup with the reserved borlotti beans. Season with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Add a little reserved bean cooking liquid, if needed, to thin the consistency of the soup. Top with basil and drizzle with extra olive oil. Sprinkle with parmesan and freshly ground black pepper, to serve.
CHICKPEA RIBOLLITA WITH BABY RAVIOLI & PESTO GARLIC BREAD
SERVES 4-6
1 baguette70g unsalted butter, plus 40g extra¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil1 white onion,2 garlic cloves, crushed1 fennel bulb, finely chopped1 carrot, finely chopped½ bunch thyme, leaves picked400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained6 cups (1.5L) vegetable stock400g can cherry tomatoes1 parmesan rind (see note)300g store-bought fresh baby beef ravioli½ bunch cavolo nero (substitute silverbeet), washed, leaves finely shredded
