Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Woke Up This Morning

I woke up this morning thinking about the Olive Garden restaurant. Remember their Pasta e Fagioli soup?  Remember when you learned Zuppa was soup in I-talian?  Ha!  Don't lie.  I liked that soup.
So I was thinking along those same flavor lines tonight for my Broccoli e Fagioli.  Browned my ground turkey, added onions and garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes.  Then, a nice bunch of broccoli rabe, and then a can each of diced tomatoes with basil and cannellini beans. A squeeze of lemon and this was kinda awesome.  
If I was eating pasta right now, this is how I would prepare this plate and simultaneously induce a food orgasm.  First I would boil the noodles al dente. I'd put a pat of butter in olive oil on the stove before tossing in thinly sliced garlic, about two cloves.  I'd warm that through the oil before adding lots of red pepper flakes, s & p.  I'd drain the pasta and stir in this warm garlicky goodness with a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water.  I would top that pasta with my broccoli fagioli or as Tony Soprano would say 'fazool'.  On another day I would mix the two together and I think that would be good. But on this day, on top is the only way to go.  Because true starch junkies know just how good the plain buttered noodles can be when you just tease the bite with the slightest amount of sauce.  A very healthy bite of swirling moist noodles! If that doesn't bloat your boat then you're not alive.  Yep, that's how I'd do it, if I was eating pasta right now.
But you know, this doesn't need no stinking grain or starch to make it shine.   The beans make this perfectly satisfyingly delicious.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone at home?