For a delicious, incredibly simple vegetable side dish, microwave zucchini with cheese and other ingredients!
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 30 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 anchovy fillet, chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup dry cheese tortellini
- 1 (15 ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in tomato paste and anchovy fillet, cook until fragrant and color deepens, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in tortellini and beans; cook until tortellini are cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in salt, black pepper, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, and oregano. Add spinach; cook and stir until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Ladle into bowls and garnish with red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 278 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 35 g |
| Cholesterol | 19 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Sodium | 199 mg |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Fantastic soup. Just add some nice Italian bread and a salad and you have a fantastic comfort meal. I double the recipe and add a bit more spinach cause it shrinks down quite a bit. A little bit of imported Romano seals the deal. And for those who are substituting or not using the anchovy – then you are not making the recipe. It’s umami, and you cannot taste the fishiness at all. Give your taste buds a different experience and make the recipe exactly as is. This is definitely a keeper.
I think this may be the first recipe of Chef John that I discovered, and since then I have made it dozens of times. It is a wonderful, easy, and healthy recipe! Very satisfying and filling. I also usually add one clove of minced garlic but sometimes I don’t. This is a favorite and in fact I’m making it tonight! also great the next day. Thanks so much Chef John!
For those of you who don’t know what to do with the remainder of a can of tomato paste when you only use a small amount in a recipe. I place tablespoon dollops on a paper plate, freeze until solid, remove and placed in a zip lock bag keep in freezer and take out what you need whenever……..
Excellent. I did increase the number of anchovies, and the red pepper flakes. I also added carrots which, if nothing else made it prettier. I will definitely make it again. BTW, I doubled the recipe and froze leftovers. It froze just fine.
Simple but delicious, in-a-pinch soup. I only had frozen spinach, but it worked just fine. Oh an I subbed a few generous shakes of Worcestershire sauce for the anchovies. And I did not have any tomato paste. Again, still came out good. I hate it when people redo a recipe and then rate it, but I think these changes were minor and it’s still wonderful!
Loved loved loved this! Only a couple changes. No anchovy but I did slice up and sautee some Italian style chicken sausages. added a can of diced tomatoes (no paste). Had 2 ears of leftover corn on the cob that i sliced off and added to it(just because i needed to use it up) I didn’t put the spinach in until the very end as I didn’t want it to wilt up too much. I upped the amounts and made it a complete meal with a fresh loaf of warm Italian bread. Will definitely make this again was very easy and delicious. Thanks again for another wonderful recipe chef John, you have yet to disappoint
Just doubled it because of its deliciousness! Careful with the salt because those little sardines are very salty from the can.
It’s absolutely delicious! I cannot stand anchovies BUT…in recipes like this you don’t get the fishy taste, it adds umami, that can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it background taste that makes all the difference! DON’T LEAVE IT OUT! Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies and it adds so much flavour.
I am actually a big anchovy fan so I used all those anchovies that the rest of you didn’t use, and put extra in ours! Great and easy soup. Made our tummies happy with the change of the season.
The flavor is simple yet satisfying, and the soup comes together very quickly. I didn’t have any anchovies, so I substituted 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce (since the sauce is flavored with anchovies). I may up it to 2 tsp. next time since I rarely, if ever, have anchovies on hand.
Was very simple to make. I added a little extra chicken bouillion and it was delicious.
I did not have anchovies so left that ingredient out. But followed the recipe after that. the red pepper flakes added a nice zing and The parmesan cheese added extra flavor before serving. I thought it was very good and would make it again.
I doubled the tomato paste and added carrots. It was very easy and a big hit! Will make this on a regular basis. Delicious!
This was super easy! It was very good and flavorful. I did leave out the anchovy.
No anchovies. Used shredded chicken. Everyone loved it.
Super easy and fast – I used chicken tortellini and through in spinach leaves
I made this pasta Fazoolander soup and my husband and I loved it. I did make some changes by adding onions and carrots sliced very thin. Also, added extra spinach since it wilts. This is a wonder dish when you have to whip up something quick and easy. From beginning to end it took 40 mins.
placed 3 cloves minced garlic in oil & sauteed and then I used 3 tblsp of tomato paste- instead of 1 tsp I used a little over a tsp of anchovy past – not chopped anchovies I used small Bertolli dry tortellini I put red peper flakes in the soup – but it would have made a good garnish It was getting kind of thick so I added about another cup of chicken borth at the end
soo good..make it as is written
i added garlic cloves(3), so good…..love chef john
Great healthy supper along with a green quinoa salad. I had no anchovies, used leftover chicken instead. Otherwise made it as described. Delicious!