Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (42 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
To develop a pasta and bean soup recipe with great flavor and proper texture in less than an hour, we started by cooking some pancetta (bacon worked well, too) in a Dutch oven, then cooked our vegetables in the rendered fat. Adding the tomatoes and beans together allowed them to absorb flavor from each other, and a 3:2 ratio of chicken broth to water added richness without turning our pasta and bean soup into chicken soup. We knew from experience that adding a Parmesan rind to the pot would give our soup depth and infuse a slight cheese flavor throughout. Finally, parsley and minced anchovies lent the necessary bright notes to our soup.
SERVES 8 TO 10
Parmesan rind is added for flavor, but can be replaced with a 2-inch chunk of the cheese. You can substitute another small pasta for the orzo, such as ditalini, tubettini, or conchigliette.
1 | tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling |
3 | ounces pancetta or 3 slices bacon, chopped fine |
1 | onion, chopped fine |
1 | celery rib, chopped fine |
4 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon dried oregano |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
3 | anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced |
1 | (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes |
1 | Parmesan cheese rind |
2 | (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed |
3¹⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
2¹⁄ | cups water |
Salt and pepper | |
1 | cup orzo |
¹⁄ | cup chopped fresh parsley |
2 | ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup) |
1.
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and anchovies and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Add Parmesan rind and beans and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer to blend flavors, 10 minutes.
2.
Add chicken broth, water, and 1 teaspoon salt to pot. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
3.
Remove and discard Parmesan rind. Off heat, stir in 3 tablespoons parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve immediately, passing grated Parmesan separately.
TO MAKE AHEAD:
Soup can be prepared through step 1 and refrigerated for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, discard Parmesan rind, add liquid, bring soup to a boil, and proceed with recipe.
Ditalini and orzo are especially good pasta shapes for this variation.
Trim stalks from 1 fennel bulb (12 ounces), then halve and core. Slice bulb lengthwise into ¹⁄
4
-inch-thick strips, then chop fine. Cook fennel along with onion and celery and add 2 teaspoons grated orange zest and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon fennel seeds along with garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and anchovies in step 1.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Tuscan white bean soup should be a testament to restraint, comprising only two components: tender, creamy beans, and a broth perfumed with the fragrance of garlic and rosemary. We tossed out all the rules about how to prepare dried beans for this recipe. First, we skipped the presoak (soaked beans exploded once cooked), instead simmering them right in what would become the broth for our soup. We cooked them until just barely done, then let residual heat gently cook them through to ensure even cooking. We also added salt to the pot, something typically thought to cause the beans’ exteriors to toughen. We felt the salt actually helped keep the beans from bursting, and it also seasoned them nicely. Adding onion, garlic, bay leaf, and pancetta to our cooking broth gave the beans a welcome sweet and sour flavor. And since cooking rosemary with the beans gave the soup a bitter, medicinal flavor, we steeped the herb in the broth off the heat.
SERVES 6 TO 8
For a more authentic soup, place a small slice of lightly toasted Italian bread in the bottom of each bowl and ladle the soup over. To make this a vegetarian soup, omit the pancetta and add a piece of Parmesan rind to the pot along with the halved onion and unpeeled garlic in step 1.
6 | ounces pancetta, cut into 1-inch cubes |
12 | cups water, plus extra as needed |
1 | pound dried cannellini beans (2 cups), picked over and rinsed |
1 | large onion, unpeeled and halved, plus 1 small onion, chopped |
4 | garlic cloves, unpeeled, plus 3 garlic cloves, minced |
1 | bay leaf |
Salt and pepper | |
¹⁄ | cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving |
1 | sprig fresh rosemary |
Balsamic vinegar, for serving |
1.
Cook pancetta in Dutch oven over medium heat until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add water, beans, halved onion, unpeeled garlic cloves, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover pot partially, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 1 to 1¹⁄
4
hours. Remove beans from heat,cover, and let stand until beans are tender, about 30 minutes.
2.
Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid (you should have about 5 cups; if not, add enough water to reach 5 cups). Discard pancetta, onion, unpeeled garlic cloves, and bay leaf. Spread beans in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
3.
While beans are cooling, heat oil in pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cooled beans and reserved cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Submerge rosemary in liquid, cover, and let stand off heat 15 to 20 minutes. Discard rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and serve, passing balsamic vinegar separately.
SERVES 10 TO 12
For a more authentic soup, place a small slice of lightly toasted Italian bread in the bottom of each bowl and ladle the soup over. To make this a vegetarian soup, omit the pancetta and add a piece of Parmesan rind to the pot along with the halved onion and unpeeled garlic in step 1.
6 | ounces pancetta, cut into 1-inch cubes |
12 | cups water, plus extra as needed |
1 | pound dried cannellini beans (2 cups), picked over and rinsed |
1 | large onion, unpeeled and halved, plus 1 small onion, chopped |
4 | garlic cloves, unpeeled, plus 3 garlic cloves, minced |
1 | bay leaf |
Salt and pepper | |
¹⁄ | cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving |
2 | small carrots, diced medium |
2 | celery ribs, diced medium |
2 | small leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise into ¹⁄ |
4 | ounces kale, stemmed and leaves cut into ¹⁄ |
4 | ounces escarole, stemmed and leaves cut into ¹⁄ |
6 | ounces red potatoes, diced medium |
1 | (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained |
1 | sprig fresh rosemary |
1.
Cook pancetta in Dutch oven over medium heat until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add water, beans, halved onion, unpeeled garlic cloves, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover pot partially, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 1 to 1¹⁄
4
hours. Remove beans from heat, cover, and let stand until beans are tender, about 30 minutes.
2.
Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Discard pancetta, onion, unpeeled garlic cloves, and bay leaf. Spread beans in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
3.
While beans are cooling, heat oil in pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, celery, leeks, and chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add enough water to reserved bean cooking liquid to equal 9 cups and add to pot with kale and escarole. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes. Add potatoes and tomatoes, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
4.
Add cooled beans to pot, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to simmer. Submerge rosemary in liquid, cover, and let stand off heat 15 to 20 minutes. Discard rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.
SERVES 6
This quick variation uses canned beans and can be on the table in just 40 minutes.
6 | ounces pancetta, cut into 1-inch cubes |
2 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving |
1 | small onion, chopped |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
Salt and pepper | |
3¹⁄ | cups water |
4 | (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed |
1 | sprig fresh rosemary |
Balsamic vinegar, for serving |
1.
Cook pancetta in Dutch oven over medium heat until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard pancetta and add oil to pot with rendered pancetta fat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2.
Add beans, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt, and 3¹⁄
2
cups water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Submerge rosemary in liquid; cover and let stand off heat 15 to 20 minutes. Discard rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and serve, passing balsamic vinegar separately.
