WINTER MINESTRONE (+ A DYNAMITE, ALL-PURPOSE SOUP TOPPER)

I am not one who makes or even craves pasta very often, but when I find myself at our favorite high-end, local grocer, Adams, I’m always lured by packages of over-the-top pasta shapes: Long, leggy noodles, big, chunky Tufoli, and lace-edged tripoline. I often buy a package of some dreamy, only-in-Italy feeling shape, and then store it in the bit of empty space above the fridge, dreaming and scheming for weeks about what it will become.

Such is the case for these fat Rigatoni, which would probably make an excellent homemade mac-and-cheese, but for me was a loud and resounding call for SOUP! Minestrone to be exact—chunky, warming, nutritious. As I imagined what might be in this soup, I kept seeing squash. I didn’t really feel like peeling and cubing another butternut, and easy-to-steam spaghetti squash wasn’t a fit for this, either. Then I remembered I had bunches of dumpling, delicata and carnival squash halves and bits in the fridge, leftover from a shoot a few days before. Hallelujah, minestrone is the perfect soup for using up scrap squash (or carrots, or a half-can of beans)—the extras, the odd bits, the funny shapes that didn’t fit into a pretty casserole or vegetable pave. And since so many small squashes have edible skin (delicata and carnival being two of them), I didn’t even need to peel them to put them to work.

This soup starts with garlic, carrot and celery—big and chunky so they season the soup without disappearing into it—plus a can of drained chickpeas, for protein. Give yourself lots of flexibility; almost any squash, vegetables and white beans you love will work here. You could throw in a can of drained, whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, if you had them on hand, but it’s not necessary (I’ve skipped them here). Likewise greens—any hearty leafy greens are a great stir-in here if you have some that need using up, but not necessary if you don’t fancy them.

The real magic here is in the pinch of pimenton—or smoky paprika—and the green, garlicky finish, what I’m calling my dynamite, all-purpose soup topper, naturally, because it is great on almost any soup. It’s a blend of herbs and garlic and oil (just a touch) and the kind of finely grated parmesan that melts into a hot broth on the spot, bringing to life even the most basic of soups.

RECIPE (AND PERFECT TOAST TUTORIAL), BELOW

WINTER MINESTRONE (WITH A DYNAMITE, ALL-PURPOSE SOUP TOPPER)

SOUP:

125 g rigatoni

2 tablespoons EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL,

2 to 3 cloves garlic, smashed or roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon pimenton, smoked or sweet paprika or poudre de piment (d’Espelette AOP)

4 to 6 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH, VEGETABLE BROTH or water, WARM

2 small squash, such as carnival, dumpling or delicata, seeds removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 15.5 oz can CHICKPEAS beans, DRAINED

1/2 bunch kale, thinly sliced or torn (optional)

SEA SALT, TO TASTE

FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER, To taste

perfectly toasted bread, for serving (see below)

DYNAMITE, ALL-PURPOSE SOUP TOPPER:

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 1/2 packed cups OF Parsley

1 1/2 packed cups OF DILL

Zest of 1 lemon

1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

FLAKY SALT, SUCH AS MALDON

FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PLUS FOR DRIZZLING

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside while you make the soup.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the garlic and stir until toasted and fragrant but not brown, moving the whole time, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and stir to coat in the oil. Season with the paprika and stir to coat until the vegetables are colored red, about 30 seconds. Add in the broth, starting with 4 cups, and adding more as needed for the desired consistency (I like a brothy soup—you may prefer a chunky one).

Add in the squash; cover and cook until the squash is just tender and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your squash. Add the chickpeas and stir over medium heat to warm through, adding more broth along with it if your soup is feeling to chunky or crowded for your taste. Season with salt and pepper and taste to make sure it feels rich and full-bodied. Stir in the kale, if using, and continue to stir until the greens have just wilted. Stir in the pasta, and cook over low heat until evenly warmed through, about 5 minutes.

KEEP the soup WARM OVER LOW HEAT. MEANWHILE, roughly chop the garlic, parsley and dill and toss together with the lemon, parmesan, salt and pepper in a small bowl. It should be loose and easy to sprinkle, but packed with flavor (you can give it a little taste—-the more flavorful it is raw, the more punch it adds to your finished soup).

SPOON THE warm SOUP INTO FOUR BOWLS, AND GARNISH WITH the Dynamite SOup topper, AND A DRIZZLE OF YOUR BEST OLIVE OIL. SPRINKLE WITH MORE SALT AND PEPPER, IF DESIRED and serve warm.

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

SERVES 4 TO 6

————————————

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT TOAST:

while I’ve evolved from mindless bread grazing every time I sit down to a restaurant meal, there’s something otherworldly and amazing about a thin cut sourdough miche, Skillet-toasted in butter and oil, (yes, both)— ready to dunk INto a dreamy soup. It’s one of those go big or go home moments.

Here’s how to nail perfect toast, every time: Buy a quarter MICHE Sourdough bread (my favorite is the organic whole wheat sourdough from BREAD ALONE). Thinly slice. Heat about a tablespoon each of salted butter and extra virgin olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread and toast, using tongs to monitor and check from time to time, until crispy golden brown around all edges, and golden but still soft in the center. Flip and repeat until just lightly golden. Serve warm, for dipping.

---

images belong to Sarah Copeland, and should not be pinned or posted without attribution. **

• Photos // HARRISON LUBIN

• Food + Prop Styling // SARAH COPELAND

• Ceramics // VINTAGE + CRATE & BARREL

• Linens // CRATE & BARREL