Sun-Dried Tomato & Rosemary Minestrone Soup

Alright, dudes! Welcome to healthy time! To counteract the amazing and resolution-murdering bacon pie our very own beloved BS debuted yesterday, I’m contributing one of my favorite—and yes, New Year’s friendly—soup ideas. It’s salty, spicy, tomato-y, chock full of vegetables and protein, and it tastes bomb.com. (I decided I’m bringing back bomb.com in 2013, just let it happen.)

Okay, so my soup trick: instead of just normal crushed tomatoes in your minestrone soup, add sun-dried tomatoes. Instead of just olive oil in your minestrone soup, use the sun-dried tomato oil! It packs that salty, intense taste we all know and love, but the sun-dried tomatoes themselves reconstitute in the broth and swell up into juicy, soft balloons of savory goodness in the soup. You’re welcome.

Resolution Minestrone Soup

 

Sun-Dried Tomato & Rosemary Minestrone Soup

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Killer Crowd-Pleaser Pasta

Lots of wine, lots of friends, lots of food… what can be better than a big dinner party? Being the convivial hostess that I am, I’m constantly gathering friends together for festive meals. I love experimenting with new dishes and ingredients, but sometimes I’m looking for a reliable go-to recipe — especially when I’ve gotten a bit ambitious with my guest count. In scenarios like this, I have an easy pasta recipe I’ve perfected over the years that guarantees dinner party success. Every time I make this I receive nothing but rave reviews. Not trying to brag, y’all, I’m just being honest.

If you’re having a load of guests over for the holiday season, give yourself a break and make a gigantic pot of this rigatoni with gorgonzola and sun-dried tomatoes. It’s simple and quick to put together, but the flavor is richly layered, and the vibrant colors of the tomatoes and basil lend a lively aesthetic to the dish.

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