Recipe of the Week

Minestrone


2 quarts chicken stock
1 head garlic, halved
1/2 pound small rigatoni
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 T Herbs de Provence
dash of red pepper flakes
3/4 pound loose sweet Italian pork sausage
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 (28-ounce) can crushed plum tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 (28-ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bunch fresh parsley leaves, finely minced

Combine the stock and halved garlic head in a big saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes to give the stock a garlicky taste; strain out the garlic. Keep warm.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil for the rigatoni.

Pour 2 T olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the herbs de provence and red pepper flakes and warm the oil over medium heat to infuse it with the flavors, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage until well browned. Add carrots, celery, and onion to the saucepan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Add salt and pepper for first layer of seasoning.

To the pan with the sausage stir in the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, beans, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Cook the rigatoni in the boiling water for 6 minutes; it should be slightly underdone. Drain and stir into the simmering soup. Add the parsley, and salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste. Discard the bay leaf and herb sprigs.