I followed this recipe as written, with one exception, and that was replacing the Swiss chard with fresh spinach. I was intrigued with adding the dry pasta to the sausage mixture, which is why I decided to give this a try. Unfortunately it didn’t work well for me. I was concerned the pasta would absorb a lot of the broth, but I forged ahead anyway. I put this together just a few hours ahead and by the time I re-heated it, yep, nearly all the broth had been absorbed by the pasta. I had used a full four cups of broth, but ended up adding another full 14.5 oz. can while re-heating. The taste was ok, but I preferred it the next day, as the flavors had had more time to develop. My version yielded 4 large portions, not 2. If I make this again, I’ll cook the pasta separately and add it when re-heating.
I have not had pasta fazool for ages, because it usually makes so much. This is perfect for a retired couple. I also added some crushed rosemary and boiled some ditalini noodles separately, a salad and some Italian bread. The Swiss Chard. if you can find it in your store, is a nice change from spinach. Thank You again Chef John.
No changes this time. I might use smaller elbow mac next time. I didn't realize I grabbed big ones. This the first time my hubs used bread to sop up the broth. Oh, and I used Rancho Gordo beans...if you're going to eat beans, eat the best. :)
Add this to your favorites first thing. I used baby Bok Choy because they didn't have Swiss Chard. It still was still good but probably better if you used the right ingredients which is why I rated it 5 stars, not based on my subpar add ins. I like the video because he explained why you need to do certain things so it doesn't appear as a mistake, like cooking the pasta with the sausage. Which is a must. I had bought Panera's small sourdough bread bowls and made a quick salad. A very tasty and filling meal on a cool Autumn evening. You won't be disappointed. I also added a little Chèvre on top so it doesn't give you that bloated feeling. Seems to really work...
First time ever making soup...think I overdid it with the Sausage. Instead of using two links, I used four. My family said it wasn't salty, but I had to use extra broth and water to off-set the Sausage because I thought it would be too salty. I overcooked the elbow noodles so they were pretty mushy by the time I served the dish. I also used spinach instead of what was recommended. I think next time I stick with the recipe exactly as written. One thing I highly recommend to people like me who are just starting to cook, prepare veggies and things that go into the soup ahead of time before combining them. I threw the sausage into the oil like the recipe called, but I had to ask my Son-in-Law to cut the onion and celery because I was too busy breaking up the sausage in the pan. As time goes on I'll get better in my preparation. This was a "live and learn" experiment.
I made this soup exactly as writtten this evening and served it to my husband, who could not believe that it took so little time to produce something so DELICIOUS.
Many thanks to Chef John for making me look like I know what I'm doing in the kitchen!
Delicious! I made exactly as directed, except that I doubled it (we are in for several days of cold and rainy weather). As always, I highly recommend watching Chef John’s video, he cracks me up plus you get a little more information on how or why he recommends doing something a certain way (like why to add uncooked mac instead of cooking it first). So, make this recipe and enjoy a hug from an Italian grandmother. UPDATE: I made this 3 months ago and had a good 2 full servings leftover that I put in Tupperware and threw in the freezer. Yesterday, I set it in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Tonight, I put it in a saucepan with 1/2 a cup of chicken broth for 15-20 min and it was awesome! So just wanted to add a comment that is freezes very well!
Could eat this once a week. Yummy
I made it straight the first time and the second time substituted kale for chard and leeks for the onion. Even better! This is a super yummy soup I fantasize ahead about eating!
