Did anyone get the newest Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Foolproof for Christmas? I couldn’t wait so I had pre-ordered it this summer. It’s the perfect title for one of her cookbooks as I have always said that they are truly foolproof. I have a friend that always did a test run on recipes before dinner parties or holidays. The first time I introduced her to a Barefoot Contessa recipe I told her not to bother with her trial run, the recipes are always spot on every time. Once again Ina Garten has created a beautiful masterpiece that I have been cooking my way through as quickly as I can.
This time it’s the Winter Minestrone + Garlic Bruschetta that I’m making for my family. My kids {like hopefully most of yours} are not into very many cooked veggies. There are times when combined with pasta + bread though that they surprise me. This soup is beautiful and delicious. It took about an hour which is a little longer than I like for a weekday, but I was able to make it ahead so it was all set to heat up and toss in the pasta at the last minute. You know what a soft spot I have for soup.
The ingredients are simple, many of which you likely have on hand. I took a couple of short cuts. None of which would alter the taste in any way, but can save some time. Pre-cut butternut squash, Pre-diced pancetta, and jarred crushed garlic helped cut down on the time it took to chop these up. I also used baby shells in lieu of the tubetti she recommends. I couldn’t find it in my local store and didn’t want to make a trip to yet another store. I bet it would also be great with tortellini like I use in my Italian Wedding Soup. She suggests using store bought pesto for a final touch. I opted for the batch I had ready in my freezer. The pesto really adds to the flavor of the soup. Instead of adding it to the whole batch, I drizzled it on top. That way I was able to eliminate it from the kids portions as I knew the green would send them over the edge!
Isn’t it so beautiful. I love when food is this pretty, it’s like eating the rainbow.
Those of you that know the Barefoot Contessa recipes well, know that she loves salt. And this recipe is no different. Lucky for me though, my good friend just gave me this adorable salt cellar! Thanks J! I loved dipping into this cutie just like Ina does on her show.
I hope your family enjoys this mid winter warm-up too. It really is as good as it looks!
