Now, number 1, I'll take. As much as I've loved being with my buddy for the last 2 1/2 weeks, we were both ready for a break from each other. I took no offense when he got dressed and had his shoes on at warp speed, too excited to eat a whole breakfast. And I felt little guilt when I told him that I was, in fact, dropping him off then going to exercise. A few tears were shed at the door but I'm sure he's now busily tying up some poor child under the supervision of someone other than me. And honestly, it's pretty horrifying that I've been beaten at "Memory" several times by someone who's head got stuck in the arm hole of a shirt for a half hour yesterday. Where is that ginkgo biloba??
As for the writing? What are you gonna do? I have a stack of required reading that's teetering and mocking me every time I walk by. Plus, I can't miss out on my quality time with my dear friend, Jerry Orbach.
Ah, but the soup. Had I known that I'd soon be avoiding anything even mildly spicy I would most certainly have gone for something a little more worthwhile than a can of Amy's soup. Being pregnant keeps you up at night for a wide variety of reasons; leg cramps, bathroom trips, lucid dreams where Rachel Ray delivers your baby in 30 minutes then invites you to a game of Nerf basketball and the fact that simply rolling onto your right side makes you feel paranoid that you're doing irreparable harm to your baby by pressing on your vena cava are only a few. I don't mind waking my husband up by shouting, "Cramp! Cramp! Lower left! Lower left! Aghhh!" but I do feel a little silly when we're both awake because I just had to eat overly seasoned tomato soup or a piece of pizza (yes, pizza is now off-limits to me). I don't need someone to stay up and watch me burp, moan and curse "that damn Amy and her damn soups" to prove their undying love. So, after spending half the night sucking down papaya enzymes and impersonating one of the Klumps, I decided it was probably time to make the switch to foods that are a little more agreeable.
I haven't minded my apple-saucier diet so much until this morning when I walked outside and felt the wind blowing this frigid breeze up the driveway and these little pellets of snow hitting my face. At that moment I immediately thought of my favorite Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup. Normally I would make this extra spicy and enjoy it with a crunchy loaf of bread, but tonight's version will most certainly be tamed down. That being said, I hope someone will take up my cause and indulge in something smothered in green chile, flecked with crushed red pepper or eaten from a jar with a warning label. I'll be over here with my unsalted Matzo crackers.
Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup
Adapted from Sunset magazine, 20052 lbs. hot or mild Italian sausages
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 quarts chicken broth
3 quarts chicken broth
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon dried basil or shredded fresh to serve
2 cups dried large shell-shaped pasta
12 oz. spinach, rinsed and stemmed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Crushed red pepper, if desired
Squeeze sausages from casings into a stock pot or dutch oven over high heat. Stir often, breaking them apart with a spoon, until browned and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon out and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot (yeah, right).
Add carrots, onion and garlic; stir often until onion is limp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes (including juice), beans and basil if using dried. Bring to a boil.
Add pasta, reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is just tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Skim and discard fat (sissy). Stir in spinach and cook JUST until wilted, about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parmesan, fresh basil and crushed red pepper if desired.
Cook's Note: This makes a LOT of soup and it also freezes very well. Just separate half the soup before adding pasta or spinach and freeze. Pick up where you left off after thawing. It is also very filling as a vegetarian soup, just omit the sausage and substitute vegetable broth. Still delicious!
