I was in sunny Florida last week guzzling fresh orange juice, eating red snapper and corn on the cob, and watching tropical sunsets (all local and in season). I do not generally make my husband grocery shop when I’m out of town.
Currently, our kitchen has two apples and two onions for fresh produce and I’m not going to the store and fight with all the people who are trying to purchase mass amounts of bread and milk in preparation for a possible snow storm. Solution?
A pantry raid, of course!
Carolina-Style Pasta e Fagioli:
Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 oz. country ham, diced (I like A.B. Vannoy’s ham immensely)
1 pint canned tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried basil (or frozen pesto if you have it)
½ teaspoon oregano
1 cup dry ditalini pasta
1 can of cannellini beans
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Heat up olive oil in a soup pan. Add the small onion and ham and let cook until onions are translucent. While the onions and ham are cooking, chop up the tomatoes (if they are whole). Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, and dried herbs to the pan. Bring all ingredients to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain the beans while the pasta is cooking. When the pasta is al dente, add the beans to the pan (this will stop the pasta from cooking any longer). Add salt and pepper to taste.
Top with parmesan cheese, to taste.
