Feast on Christmas Eve? It’s a tradition for some. For others, including my clan, the main cooking and eating event is on Christmas Day. For us a simple Christmas Eve menu is a sanity saver.

A “one-dish” dinner is the ticket, a festive meal in a bowl, able to stand on its own with no side dishes. It should have a combination of flavors that make taste buds jingle with joy, a dish with contrasting colors and textures, one with an aroma so irresistible that it will draw even the busiest family to the Christmas Eve table.

A Sausage and Pasta Soup is scrumptious and making it only takes about 35 minutes, which includes 20 minutes of simmering.

Sausage and Pasta Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups diced peeled carrots

2 stalks celery, diced

Pinch dried red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence

1 can of diced tomatoes (14 to 16 ounces), undrained

7 cups chicken broth

1 can kidney beans (15 to 16 ounces), drained

1 1/2 cups orecchiette; see cook’s notes

2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese

Cook’s notes: For the soup I like to use small orecchiette pasta, a shape that is said to resemble piglet ears. I usually buy the DeCecco brand and look for the number 91 on the box. Numbers on pasta labels, known as the “cut number” in the industry, relate to the shape, length or width of the extruder used to shape the pasta. If you wish, substitute another pasta, such as farfalle or penne.

PROCEDURE

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot on medium-high heat. Remove casings from Italian sausage (sweet sausage is best if serving to kids); add to pot, breaking it up sausage with a spatula into bite-sized pieces, cooking 5 minutes tossing occasionally. Add onion,  carrots, celery, dried red pepper flakes and either Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence; cook, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, broth and beans. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Simmer gently for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil in a separate pot. Add orecchiette and cook according to package directions; drain. Add pasta to soup; add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; top each serving with grated Parmesan cheese.

Merry Christmas!

Cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas at [email protected]

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