World’s Creamiest Heart Healthy Heirloom Tomato Soup!

This tomato soup is incredibly flavorful, rich, and creamy despite not having one drop of cream or butter in it! Brimming with vitamins and the powerful antioxidant known as lycopene, tomatoes are firmly believed to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Studies have shown that cooking tomatoes, as we do in this soup, actually increases the amount of lycopene absorbable to the body. This soup is one of those rare treats in this world that is both unbelievably good for you and unbelievably tasty!

Ingredients:

3 lbs. Heirloom Tomatoes (sliced ½ inch thick)

½ lb. Sliced Yellow Onion

6 ea. Garlic Cloves (Sliced)

1 oz. Basil (chopped)

4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2-3 Sprigs of Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

Ideal Equipment for recipe:

       Tomato Corer: http://www.alfi.com/product_p/ljts-2e538.htm

Soup Pot: http://www.alfi.com/product_p/ac540418.htm

Roasting Pan: http://www.alfi.com/product_p/hl460660-00.htm

Method:

1.     Preheat the Oven to 375 degrees F.

2.     Pour 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil onto a baking pan and spread evenly. Arrange the Tomato Slices on the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Flip over and season the other sides. Placed thyme sprigs on tomatoes.

3.     Roast tomatoes in the oven for 35-40 minutes, making sure that they do not burn.

4.     While tomatoes are roasting, sauté the sliced onions in the remaining olive oil until they just begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper.

5.     Add the sliced garlic to the sautéed onions, and cook until the garlic begins to brown as well.

6.     As soon as the tomatoes have finished roasting, add them to the sautéed onion-garlic mixture and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

7.     Puree this mixture in a blender and add water to obtain your preferred consistency.

To Serve: Garnish Tomato Soup with chopped Basil and ENJOY!

Baked Papardelle Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Sauce

So last weekend I decided to treat the family to something simple (we all love pasta for its simplicity) but something different than the normal spaghetti or alfredo I tend to make.

So I asked Arik, our resident culinary school educated co-worker to give me something new. And this is what he gave me. So he recommended I try the baked papardelle pasta dish, and my whole family was delighted with the results.

If you want to try, here's how:

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Papardelle Pasta

½ lb. Yellow Onion (small dice)

½ lb. Sliced White Button Mushrooms

5 ea. Garlic Cloves (minced)

2 lbs. pureed Roma tomatoes (canned or fresh)

1 oz. Basil (chopped)

4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5 oz. Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (Sliced into 1” pieces)

3 Tbsp. Parmigian Reggiano Cheese (grated)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Ideal Pasta Pan Options:

1. http://www.alfi.com/product_p/ac5404.htm

2. http://www.alfi.com/product_p/ac5406.htm

4. http://www.alfi.com/product_p/ac5403.htm

Method:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.       Bring a large pot of Salted Water to a boil. Cook papardelle pasta in the boiling water until tender, yet still slightly firm to the tooth (al dente). Strain and Reserve Pasta and 1 cup of the Pasta cooking water.

3.       In another pan, sauté onion and garlic in extra virgin olive oil until slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.

4.       Once onion-garlic mixture begins to brown, add sliced mushrooms and adjust seasoning. Cook until mushrooms have browned.

5.       Add pureed tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat for about 15-20 minutes. If necessary, add some reserved pasta cooking water to adjust consistency.

6.       Add cooked papardelle pasta to the finished tomato sauce and mix thoroughly. Top with sliced mozzarella cheese.

7.       Place pan in the oven, and bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

8.       Sprinkle finished pasta with chopped basil and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Enjoy!