Come on, it’s November and time for cold weather comfort food. Yesterday my son – seeking his best dinner options – called home to see what was on our menu. I tossed out some healthy ideas – grilled fish, salad, pasta, and was met with a deep sigh. “I was hoping for soup,” he said. Well guess what, I was hoping for soup too – it’s soup time according to my inner menu calendar.
Soup is a great opportunity for a pantry raid. Cans of beans, tomatoes, and veggies are obvious candidates. Pasta is always a winner. Tomato soup was a clear possibility, but not the most exciting choice for our first soup meal of the season. The pasta shelf was tempting, particularly because I was remembering a lovely dish of Pasta alla Vodka we enjoyed last week. Suddenly I had a revelation, which happens so rarely that I do try and pay attention, why not make Penne Pasta Soup alla Vodka? How wonderful would that be? As it happens I now have the answer because that is exactly what I made for dinner and even my husband went back for a third helping. I had every single ingredient in my house so with a few minutes of chopping and sautéing I had a beginning for a marvelous soup. Red pepper, onion and garlic made the base. Once they were softened, I added whole canned tomatoes some dried basil (no more fresh outside – darn) red pepper flakes, and a pinch of sugar. I simmered that for about 15 minutes cooled, for another 15 minutes, then dumped it all in the food processor for a few quick spins. It wasn’t necessary to really blend it to a smooth consistency, plus, you could totally skip this step and have a chunkier soup. When the veggies were back in the pot I added 4 cups of chicken broth, a splash of vodka and heavy cream. Here’s a great trick – save rinds of parmesan cheese after you’ve gotten to the end and keep them in the freezer to pull out and add flavor to soups and stews. I put one in my soup and removed it before serving. Next I cooked 2 cups of dried penne pasta and added it to the soup. (There was lots of tasting along the way.) There is no way to let you know how good all this smelled - you’ll have to make it. My son said I should call it Perfection In a Bowl. You decide, somehow Penne Pasta Soup alla Vodka seems a bit more descriptive, but I can go either way!
Ingredients
1 large red pepper, finely chopped (or 2 small)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
28 oz can whole tomatoes
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp dried basil
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
½ cup vodka
1 cup half & half, or heavy cream
Optional: Parmesan rind
2 cups dried penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
Red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese to top
Directions
Heat a large pot with olive oil over medium high heat.
Add red pepper, onion, and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, breaking up with a spoon, red pepper flakes, sugar, and basil and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.
Cool for 15 minutes and add mixture to food processor (unless you want to leave soup chunky) and blend a couple of times to break up veggies.
Return mixture to the pot and add broth, vodka, cream and Parmesan rind if you have one. (Remember to remove rind before serving,)
Cook about 15 minutes while you boil pasta.
Add drained pasta to soup and taste for salt.
Serve with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
Crusty bread and a small salad make a perfect addition to a lovely meal.
My Grandmother was a fabulous cook who would never have put vodka in her soup. She was also a suffragette. I’m so grateful to have such a remarkable heritage and so proud every time I have the opportunity to vote. I hope everyone gets a chance to vote.
