Friday, December 5, 2014

Maccheroni Soup with Sausage & Porcini

By: The Food Hunter

What many people don't know about Arizona is that it gets cold, and in certain parts of the state it even snows. We own a rustic log cabin in this cold snowy region that we go to a lot on weekends. It's a short drive to completely different weather but we love it, snow and all.

During the winter months when it's cold and blustery outside one of our favorite things to do is enjoy a meal by the fire; typically a warm bowl of soup or a crock of stew. I found this recipe in the Hazan Family Favorites Cookbook and it reminded me of soup my grandma would make. She always included short pasta like ditalini or tubetti and we always called it maccheroni.



Maccheroni Soup with Sausage & Porcini
(courtesy of Hazan Family Cookbook)
(printable recipe)

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 medium carrot
1 celery stalk
3 tablespoons butter
8 ounces mild pork sausage
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes
salt &pepper to taste
6 ounces tubetti or other short tubular pasta

1. Put the dried porcini in a bowl, add 2 cups water, and soak for at least 15 minutes.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the carrot and cut into 1/8-inch dice. Peel the back of the celery stalk and cut into 1/8-inch dice.
3. Put the butter in a 5 to 6 quart soup pot over medium high heat. When the butter begins to melt, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Saute until the vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
4. While the vegetables are sautéing, remove the casing from the sausage and cut into small chunks. Peel the tomatoes and coarsely chop them.
5. When the vegetables are ready, add the sausage. Break up the larger pieces of sausage with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring often, until it loses its raw color. 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Lift the porcini out of the water, squeezing the excess liquid back into the bowl. Do not discard the water. Rinse the porcini under running water, chop them coarsely, and add them to the pot along with the tomatoes, Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.

22 comments:

  1. I love everything about this bowl of deliciousness.

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  2. That sounds so delicious!! Hearty and comforting.
    I was in AZ in August and experienced one of the hottest days EVER! haha :)

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  3. This sounds like the perfect soup to enjoy while nestled into a snowy cabin.

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  4. I love those mini macaroni or so they seem. Super cute. Looks warm and comforting soup on chilly days like today.

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  5. I'd love a bowl of this right now - looks fantastic!

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  6. looks like comfort food at this best!

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  7. Perfect soup for a cold snowy night.

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  8. I can just imagine sitting in a cabin on a snowy day and warming up with this comforting soup!

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  9. Oh what I wouldn't give for a nice warm bowl of this right now!

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  10. I love how simple and comforting this looks!

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  11. Perfect for a cold, blustery evening in front of the fire!

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  12. This looks perfect for a cold and blustery day. Perfect comfort food!

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  13. I adore spoonable pasta in soup. This looks wonderful and like it would warm my toes on a cold winter's eve.
    Renee - Kudos Kitchen

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  14. I lived in Arizona for about six months in college -- and the climate came as such a surprise. There's such a difference in heat there (because it was such a dry heat where I was). This soup looks delicious!

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  15. Totally delicious! Love that that you threw in sausage as well.

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  16. How fun that you have a cabin to escape too! I agree, there's nothing better than a warm bowl of soup when it's snowy outside.

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  17. This recipes blows my mind. It looks so good.

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