Chef notes
When my kids are sick, I always want to make a chicken noodle soup chock-full of veggies. But they're not always thrilled to eat soup. They think it's boring. So, this is my way to get a bunch of veggies into the boys and they don't even realize it. It's a spin on the Italian pastina. We use gluten-free orzo or small noodles and pour the healthy sauce on top. It's easy because the veggies only need to be roughly chopped since they're going to end up in a blender. It also makes a lot of sauce and freezes really well so it can be used whenever you need it! An easy, healthy recipe ... what's better than that?
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Ingredients
- olive oil
- 4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (32-ounce) box low-sodium chicken broth
- 1-2 cups orzo or any small pasta
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
1.In a sauté pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and cook the veggies. Season with salt and pepper. Once veggies soften, add tomato paste and sauté until combined. Add chicken broth and simmer until veggies are tender.
2.Transfer the veggie mixture to a blender and puree until it becomes a fairly thick sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3.Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo according to package instructions, until al dente.
4.Top noodles with as much sauce as you like (you can freeze the rest). Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
