This is another recipe that I used my new slow cooker to make. It is also based on a recipe from Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. I love eating soups in winter, and I hope to have more time to experiment with the slow cooker and the soup recipes. Since this also has pasta it was a good compromise and encouragement for my husband to give it a try as he is not that big on soups. It is a bit thicker than a regular soup and very satisfying.
Fagioli Soup
1 celery rib, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small can (10 oz) chopped canned tomatoes (you can use fresh too if peeled and seeded)
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
2 cans white beans (I used cannellini and great northern.)
salt
crushed red pepper
8 ounces spaghetti, broken into pieces or soup pasta
In braise mode or in a pan on the stove, cook the celery and garlic over medium heat until the garlic is golden. Pour mixture into the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water and stir together. Add the white beans, salt to taste and a couple of pinches of red peppers flakes and stir. Cook on low for 4 hours. Add the pasta and cook until done, about 20-30 minutes depending on the pasta. Serve and enjoy!
Last Christmas I received a really cool fast, slow cooker. This thing is amazing; it can braise, slow cook and pressure cook in the same machine. I have not yet experimented with the pressure cooker setting, but the slow cooker part I really love. You can also extend the warming time before or after cooking. One of the first things I tried in the slow cooker part was a recipe for pasta sauce. My husband loves pasta and sauce and is constantly asking me to make this sauce for him. It also freezes well as it makes a large batch (10 cups).
Spicy Sausage Pasta Sauce (adapted from Italian Slow Cooker by M. Scicolone)
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1 large red onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 dry red wine
1 28 ounce can Italian peeled tomatoes with basil and in their juice, roughly chopped
1 28 ounce can tomato puree
salt to taste
Turn the setting to braise (or in a skillet before putting into the slow cooker). Break the sausage into lumps and brown. Once the sausage is browned, add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender. Add the wine and scrape down the sides of the pan. Pour the contents into the slow cooker. Add the roughly chopped tomatoes, puree and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 hours. Taste for seasoning once complete.
