I need an armory of quick dinner ideas for those days when I am feeling like a zombie. I sometimes look at Matthew and say, “What do I usually make for dinner every night?”. I go through cooking phases, often with the seasons, and when the seasons change, I somehow forget what my repertoire is for the coming months.

My dahlias enjoying the sweetness of late summer.

I always tend to feel a twinge of melancholy in August, when the light changes and the cooler air hints at fall on its way. It’s as if everything relaxes after the big burst of energy and effort put forth in spring and summer, and says, “We’ll try again next year”. And I relax too. So here is a soup I like to make when it’s already past dinnertime and I need something simple and quick. And no guilt for not taking advantage of late summer’s harvest of fresh vegetables*. This soup is just pantry items. It is delicious and comforting.

Pasta Fagioli

(adapted from Jacques Pépin’s recipe)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion**
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes*** (14.5 oz)
• 1 cup dry pasta, such as penne noodles
• 1 can cannellini beans (15.5 oz)
• grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat.
2. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes or so, until softened.
3. Add the broth and the tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the pasta, bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to a slow boil. Cover and cook until pasta is al dente.
5. Add the beans along with their liquid (no need to rinse and drain) and bring to a simmer. Cover and let simmer until soup has thickened, maybe 5 minutes.
6. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and a good crusty bread. Makes 4 modest servings, or 2 hearty servings with a bit left over.

Notes:

*This soup is easily amended. So if you’ve got lots of zucchini or other veggies from your summer harvest, throw some in if you must. But then it’s not really pasta fagioli anymore, is it? Remember, this is an emergency soup!

**Every time I chop onions, I throw some of them into a freezer bag in my freezer. That way, when I need to make a quick and easy soup, and don’t feel like fiddling with an onion, I always have some at the ready.

***I sometimes like to use “fire roasted” diced tomatoes for extra flavor. So good!