Pasta: Cook Once, Eat Twice

No Comments | Written on January 31, 2012 at 5:00 pm, by Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine

At least once a winter, I indulge myself in homemade Macaroni and Cheese. This time I made it extraspecial with panko bread crumbs (which made the top even crispier), and Raffetto’s Homemade Cavatelli Pasta (pictured here). I live just a few blocks from this wonderful New York City pasta shop, where you can find just about any homemade pasta variety. What’s even better, Raffetto’s will cut the pasta into any size you like, and they offer every flavor imaginable, even chocolate. Yes, chocolate pasta.

Whenever I cook with pasta, I always tend to cook too much. So with the cavatelli I didn’t use for the mac and cheese, I’m going to make a completely new dish. The thing is, I’m usually not in the mood for another “pasta heavy” dinner the next day. Soup, though, is another story.

Pasta e Fagioli fits the bill because it’s a dish that calls for a scant amount of pasta (in this recipe, about a quarter-pound will do). For me, this lovely Italian soup is really more about the tomatoes, beans, and parmesan cheese. I happened to have some Tuscan kale in the fridge, so I cut the leaves in small ribbons and threw them in the pot, the perfect way to sneak in some extra veggies. That little bit of pasta makes the soup a flavorful, cozy, one-pot meal.

I like to experiment with different varieties of pasta; certain shapes just seem to fit certain dishes. Cavatelli are about an inch long and are similar to small pasta shells (but are rolled so they’re almost the shape of a miniature hot dog bun). They’re a nice alternative to plain old elbow macaroni for the mac and cheese (the cheese get into all its nooks and crannies). And in meal number two, the cavatelli soaked up lots of the soup’s flavor and juices. The pasta e fagioli was made in minutes, and I didn’t have to waste any of my leftovers.

Cook once, eat twice; explore all the ways to make the most of your ingredients with me each week.