There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Ingredients For the soup: 2 tsp. olive oil 1-1/2 lbs. Sweet Italian turkey sausage 3 c. chopped onions 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp. dried oregano 2 T. tomato paste 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes 2 bay leaves 6 c. chicken stock 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves Freshly ground Sea Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the cheesy yum: 8 oz. ricotta 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp. salt & pinch of freshly ground pepper (if desired) Additional cheesy yum: 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese Preparation: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened (about 5 mins), then add garlic and oregano and cook for another 1-2 mins. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color. Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. You can let the soup simmer longer to incorporate the flavors more fully, but it can be served at this point.
Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper.
In a separate pot, cook the pasta until Al dente. Do not overcook as the pasta will cook a bit more when you pour the hot soup over it when serving.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
To serve, place some of the pasta in the bottom of each soup bowl and place a dollop of the cheesy yum on top of the pasta. Sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese. Add another sprinkle of mozzarella on top of the soup.
I use sweet Italian turkey sausage, but I am quite sure that any flavor or type of Italian sausage would also be good.
This soup will gain even more flavor on the second trip around, so be sure to make enough for leftovers. I usually double the recipe and start the soup in the am and let in simmer throughout the day. Then for the leftovers, put the soup on the stove to simmer for 30-60 mins before serving. This not only brings out additional flavors, but insures that the family will be at the table and ready to eat when you’re ready to serve.
Mafalda pasta can be difficult to find, but it is shaped like thin lasagna noodles so it adds that much more character to the soup. I usually break it up into smaller pieces before cooking, as it fits into a soup bowl much easier. If you can’t find Mafalda or Fusili, spiral pasta works just fine. Serve with a crusty artisan bread or chunky sourdough garlic bread. This has become the #1 requested soup of my family and friends. Yummy good!