Pasta Soup with Summer Squash
Over on the coastal city of Palermo, where gardens all over are growing some of the freshest, tastiest produce the island of Sicily has to offer, you can find bright, summery soups like this one being produced as much as France produces wine.
This particular soup, which features pasta, greens, tomatoes, and zucchini comes from a single woman named Maria, who you might be familiar with if you follow the Pasta Grannies on YouTube, is a perfect soup to make to highlight the bounty of summer produce in their most natural state.
Part of what makes this soup unique is the addition of a quick tomato sauce for some color, flavor and to thicken the soup a little bit.
Let’s do this!
Serves 4-5
Time: 1 1/2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
For the Tomato Sauce:
1 can (28 oz) Whole peeled tomatoes. (Or, fresh tomatoes if it’s the summertime)
A glug of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
3 garlic cloves, cut in half
A handful of fresh basil leaves
Salt, to taste
For the Soup:
10 1/2oz of leafy greens. (Swiss Chard, Romaine lettuce or spinach)
2 zucchini, cut into bite-sized chunks
4 cups water
Salt
10 1/2oz boxed spaghetti or bucatini
2 oz crumbled feta cheese
Strain the whole peeled tomatoes then dump them into a food processor and blend until smooth. In a saucepan, heat a thin layer of oil with the garlic over medium low heat and let it go for about 5 minutes to infuse. Remove the garlic, then add the tomatoes, basil leaves and a pinch of salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, then let it simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Trim off any tough stalks from your leafy greens and roughly chop. Place the greens and zucchini into a saucepan with the water, then bring to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt, then boil for about 5 minutes, or until the zucchini cubes become tender.
Snap the pasta into matchstick lengths and add those and the tomato sauce to the pot. Let it all simmer together until the pasta is cooked to your liking, should be about 5-8 minutes.
Divide the soup among bowls then top with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of cheese.
