PASTA: Garlic Vegetable Soup w/Orecchiette

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* Exported from MasterCook II *

 

Garlic Vegetable Soup w/Orecchiette

 

Recipe By : Monday to Friday Pasta/Michele Urvater

Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:35

Categories : Pasta Soups

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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8 cups vegetable broth

2 medium carrots

2 ribs celery

1/2 pound mushrooms

10 cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon EACH dried sage, marjoram & thyme

1 cup small broccoli or cauliflower florets

3 cups orecchiette, penne or fusilli OR

1 cup pastina

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup grated cheese your choice

 

1. Bring the broth to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat.

While the broth is heating, prepare the vegetables and add them as

each is done: Peel and thinly slice the carrots. Finely chop the

celery. Trim the mushrooms, wipe them clean with a damp paper towel,

and thinly slice them.

 

2. Peel the garlic, leaving the cloves whole. String them on a bamboo

skewer (make sure it fits into your saucepan) or thread them on

several toothpicks, and add to the broth. Add the herbs.

 

3. When the broth is at full simmer, cover the saucepan and simmer

over low heat for 15 minutes.

 

4. Add the broccoli and pasta, cover the saucepan, and simmer over

medium heat until the broccoli is tender and the pasta is cooked, 5

to 6 minutes. Remove the garlic, season to taste with salt and pepper

and serve while very hot. Pass the grated cheese.

 

Variations:

 

*Substitute 1 cup chopped fennel bulb or diced white turnips,

parsnips, or rutabagas for either the carrots or celery; these

vegetables have an affinity for garlic.

 

*Omit the broccoli or cauliflower and after the pasta is cooked, add

1//2 cup chopped herbs, such as parsley or dill. Or add 2 cups

shredded watercress, arugula, or spinach.

 

Second Time Around: If there are any leftovers change the character

of the soup and thin it at the same time by adding tomato juice or a

can of stewed tomatoes, chopped.

 

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NOTES : After garlic cooks for a long time, it loses all of

its pungency and becomes delicately sweet, smooth and aromatic. To

make it easier to fish out the garlic cloves after cooking, thread

them on a bamboo skewer or on a couple of toothpicks.

 

This soup is wonderful as a main course. It's also a practical soup,

one for using up any leftover dried pasta you might have in the

house. It accommodates vegetables in season and leftover cooked

pasta. Serve grated cheese with this if you wish; at times I like

Parmesan or Romano, other times I opt for shreds of a gooey

mozzarella, grated sharp Cheddar, or a crumble of blue.

 

This is so filling that a simple fruit salad for dessert will round

out the meal.