I hate leftovers. Which wouldn’t be a problem if I could somehow train myself to cook a meal that could feed less than 6 people.
6 very hungry people.
This is an easy way to use leftover pasta dishes, especially tortellini or ravioli. But it works with any chunky type of noodle dish.
In a large pot over medium heat, I add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 cup of diced onions and 1 cup of diced carrots. I lightly saute the veggies until just softened, add in 1 can of diced tomatoes, then add in 1 quart of chicken or vegetable broth. I generally grab and toss in the regular Italian spices: garlic, basil, oregano and thyme. I then walk away until the whole mess comes to a boil, which is usually just long enough to figure out exactly how much trouble Jack has caused in the 5 minutes I was distracted, but not long enough to clean it up.
Once the soup is boiling, I add in the leftover pasta (at least 2 cups), complete with sauce/cheese/fixings included. This will generally knock the soup temperature down far enough that you should have a solid 5 minutes until it comes back to a boil, which should will be enough time to reheat the pasta through.
Lastly, I add in about 2 cups (aka two handfuls) of fresh spinach. 1 minute or so at high heat is enough to wilt the spinach and POOF dinner is served.
I top the soup with a little shredded Parmesan cheese and eat until I’m ready to burst.
Tomato Tortellini Soup
- 2-3 cups of leftover pasta
- 1 quart of broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups of fresh spinach
- OR 1 package frozen spinach, defrosted
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 cup diced carrots
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- thyme
- oregano
- basil
Add olive oil to large pot at medium heat. Add in onions and carrots, saute lightly. Add diced tomatoes and 1 quart broth. Add herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Add leftover pasta and bring back to a boil. Add fresh spinach and cook to wilted. Serve hot, topped with Parmesan cheese and crusty buttered bread.
