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Pasta Fagioli in a thermos
| Who doesn’t love a nice hot lunch on a chilly day? This thick pasta soup is just the thing to warm a kid up from the inside out. |
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Ingredients
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1 tbsp. (15 mL) olive or vegetable oil |
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1 medium onion, chopped |
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1 stalk celery, diced |
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1 carrot, diced |
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2 cloves garlic, minced |
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1 can (28-oz./796 mL) diced tomatoes, with juice |
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2 cups (500 mL) chicken or vegetable broth |
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1 tbsp. (15 mL) dried basil (or 3 tbsp./45 mL chopped fresh basil) |
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1 tsp. (5 mL) crumbled dried oregano |
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2 cups (500 mL) water |
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1 can (19-oz./540 mL) white kidney beans, drained and rinsed |
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1 cup (250 mL) small dried pasta shells (or other small shape) |
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salt and pepper to taste |
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1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes until the onion is softened. Add the tomatoes, broth, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat then cover, lower the heat to low and let simmer for about 30 minutes. |
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2. Stir in the water, beans and pasta, bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 5 minutes--or until the pasta is almost tender. It will continue to soften in the liquid so undercook it slightly so that it doesn’t turn mushy. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. |
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3. Spoon into thermos and pack a small container of grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle at lunchtime. |
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2. The soup will thicken when it’s refrigerated, so you may have to stir in a bit of additional broth or water when you reheat it. |
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Makes 4 to 6 servings. |
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How kids can help
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Help chop vegetables for the soup. |
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Older children (10 and up) can stir mixture as it cooks. |
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Measure and add ingredients as needed. |
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