Last year when I was home in Canada helping to take care of my mom, I picked up a special edition magazine at the grocery store, the Taste of Home Italian Cookbook, new for 2013. I always pick up the odd cookery magazine when I am back visiting in Canada. I do love to read them, but I have learned in recent years that since my move over here to the UK, my tastes have changed somewhat . . . so I buy them less and less . . .
I spied this one in a pile of magazines I was going through in bed last night, and had another look at it. (I don't think I had looked at it since I returned here to the UK last May.) I just happened to have everything I needed to make this delicious looking recipe and the things I didn't have I thought I could substitute with what I did have and so today I decided to make it for us.
It was quick and easy to do and in all truth the day was so sunny and warm I didn't want to spend much time in the kitchen anyways, so it was the perfect recipe for a tasty Monday teatime supper.
The resident pasta hater even had two helpings. I think because I used a really good artisanal orecchiette pasta, it wasn't really that pasta-ee for him, if you know what I mean. Orecchiette is Italian for little ears . . . it was a good egg pasta and more like a dumpling than a noodle. Theshape cupped just the right way to hold that delicious sauce . . .
With lots of meaty chunks of chicken, nice crispy tender vegetables and oodles of color and texture, not to mention those tasty meatballs, it went down a real for both of us. It did make rather a lot, but I have an idea that the leftovers will be just as delicious if not more so. I'll probably heat them up in a casserole in the oven, covered with lashings of cheese. Mmmm . . . sounds rather good if I don't say so myself.
*Italian Wedding Soup Supper Dish*
Serves 6Printable Recipe
It's got all the flavours of the traditional Italian Wedding Soup, but it's not soup . . . it's a hearty skillet supper, and it's delicious!
8 ounces orecchiette pasta (2 cups)(can use an equal amount of any small pasta shells)1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast meat, cut into 3/4 inch cubes2 TBS olive oil1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped1 stalk of celery, washed, trimmed and chopped1 small clove of garlic, peeled and minceda package of frozen cooked Italian meatballs, thawed (12 ounces)1 tin of cream of chicken soup, undiluted1 tin of milk1 chicken stock pot1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp chopped fresh)about 6 cubes of frozen whole leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and choppedsalt and black pepper to taste135g of grated Parmesan cheese (3/4 cup)
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil
Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet with a lid. Add the chicken cubes and brown them all over. Scoop out and keep warm. Add the remaining oil to the pan along with the chopped vegetables. Cook, stirring until tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Return the chicken to the pan along with the meatballs, the soup, milk, stock pot, thyme and some seasoning. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover tightly. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes. . While the sauce is cooking add the pasta to the water and cook according to the package directions. Drain well, reserving some of the water. Remove the cover from the sauce and taste. Adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper. Stir in the drained pasta and just enough of the pasta water to give you a nice consistency. You don't want it too thick but you don't want it thin either. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.
