- Kosher salt
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1/2 pound small rigatoni
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3/4 pound loose sweet Italian pork sausage
- 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, diced
- 2 (28-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley leaves, finely minced
- 1 bay leaf
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- 12 slices baguette
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Bring a pot of salted water to boil for the rigatoni. Combine the stock and 1 halved garlic clove in a big saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes to give the stock a nice, garlicky taste; strain out the garlic. Set broth aside. Cook the rigatoni in the boiling water for 6 minutes; it should be slightly underdone. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, pour 1/4 cup olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the sage, rosemary and thyme and warm the oil over medium heat to infuse it with the flavor of the herbs, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard the herbs. Chop the carrots, celery, onion and the remaining 4 cloves of garlic in a food processor. Add to the saucepan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Dump that out onto a plate. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan, then add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with the side of a big spoon until well browned. Return the vegetables to the pan along with the drained tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Now add the beans, parsley, bay leaf, broth and lots of coarsely ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the cooked rigatoni. Discard the bay leaf. To serve, preheat the broiler. Put the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and float a couple of the baguette slices on top.
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