Butternut Squash Festival, Day One: Soup

This week I'm exploring the recipes in Red, White & Greens: The Italian Way with Vegetables by Faith Willinger. Today's recipe is Squash, Bean, and Pasta Soup on page 312.

Let's get to the obvious about butternut squash, shall we? The blog is called Cookbook "Fetish" after all...and these squash, well, they're so representative. This butternut was impressive, and I couldn't fit an entire hand around the shaft. That's a whole lotta squash to love. I chopped up half of it using the force of a small hammer to make the initial cuts.

Then I chopped further, and diminished the sizeable shaft into four cups of chopped squash. Except the recipe called for two cups, so I decided to double it, and perhaps wreck havoc on Willinger's utter perfection of a squash and bean soup.

As I chopped the squash I thought, "Why not add some of that fresh thyme and basil I've got...why not add some garlic?" Stop a moment and pray that these slight alterations do not ruin a large pot of squash and bean soup.

I checked the expiration date on the cannelloni beans. A-OK. I poured some olive oil into a pot and began sauteing the squash.

This is another recipe where patience pays off. Particularly patience in the first step. Remember that tofu I cooked earlier this year? Patience is your best friend. The same is true here in the first step of Squash, Bean, and Pasta soup. Cook over a moderate heat until the squash is brown - slowly.

To aide the exercise in patience, I envisioned sweet potatoes fresh from the oven, especially those that have become rather caramelized. Squash does the same thing if left long enough in the pan. So I waited, and stirred periodically, contemplating how else I could mess with the recipe. How about some garlic? Sure, why not? I added onions and garlic.

As the onions cooked, I added cannelloni beans, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Beans added, onions not quite brown.

Next I added chicken broth, and continued simmering for just a bit longer as the squash became truly tender.

Then I got out my trusty hand blender, and whirred the heck out of about half of the soup, threw in a good handful of basil, and added some previously cooked pieces of spaghetti - or was it linguine? I don't remember. Some of that shy and slim pasta that quickly submerged in the broth.

Basil and submerged pasta

The resulting stew is hearty, tasty, and satisfying. Combined with a drizzle of olive oil, a small salad, and crunchy bread, you're set for the evening. That all sounds like a proper balanced meal, but I had this with itself, a glass of water, and some chocolate.  The next day I shared it with writing buddies - accompanied by fruit salad and banana cream pie. Like most soups, this one just gets better and better!