Best Chicken And Cavatelli Soup Recipes

EASIEST CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Easiest Chicken Noodle Soup image

The majority of shortcut chicken soup recipes use rotisserie chicken. It's a convenient hack, but cooked chicken doesn't absorb flavors very well. On the other hand, sautéing ground chicken in olive oil with garlic, coriander and celery seeds (or fennel seeds and rosemary, or herbes de Provence) creates a deeply complex base. Add the vegetables, then the stock and the noodles for a complete meal that cooks in 30 minutes. You can use egg noodles, cavatelli or alphabet noodles, but you may want to adjust the amount of stock to taste, since they'll each absorb a different amount of liquid.

Provided by Alexa Weibel

Categories lunch, weekday, soups and stews, main course

Time 30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds (optional)
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 celery stalks, halved lengthwise, then sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves)
7 to 8 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
8 ounces dried egg noodles, cavatelli or other small shaped pasta
Crème fraîche, chopped fresh parsley and dill, and lemon zest, for garnish

Steps:

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add the chicken, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until starting to crumble, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander and celery seeds (if using), and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the chicken into a small lidded bowl (to retain moisture); cover and set aside.
Add the carrot, celery, shallot, thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until slicked with fat, 3 minutes. Add the stock (7 cups for a stew-like soup or up to 8 cups for a brothy soup) and bring to a boil over high.
Add noodles and cook over medium-high until al dente according to package directions. (If the noodles absorb a lot of liquid, add more broth according to taste.) Add the reserved chicken and any accumulated juices and heat until warmed, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls; top with a spoonful of crème fraîche, a fistful of torn herbs and lemon zest.

CAVATELLI WITH MUSHROOM BUTTER SAUCE

Cavatelli with Mushroom Butter Sauce image

Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King

Categories main-dish

Time 30m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1 pound cavatelli pasta, recipe follows (or use ready-made fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 1/2 cups 00 flour
1 cup semolina flour, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive

Steps:

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until foaming. Add the onions, season with a little salt and saute about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Next, add the mushrooms and some salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms have released all their liquid, about 5 minutes more. Add the peas and cook until heated through, another 2 minutes. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook the cavatelli pasta to al dente, 4 to 5 minutes for fresh, or according to the package instructions. Set a strainer over a large heatproof measuring cup in the sink and carefully drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of pasta water.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. When melted, add the Pecorino Romano and 1 cup pasta water, whisking vigorously. Whisk in the cream. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Season with salt and add additional pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Stir in the mushroom mixture.
Serve immediately, garnishing with additional freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated cheese.
Combine the 00 and semolina flours with the salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse a couple times. Add the olive oil and 1 cup room-temperature water to the flour mixture and pulse a few more times. Mix until a shaggy mass forms, then turn out onto a clean surface. Knead vigorously until the dough is smooth, elastic and bounces back when pressed, about 10 minutes.
Cut the dough in half and work with one piece at a time (cover the other piece with a clean, damp kitchen towel). Using a bench scraper or knife, cut a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it into a thin rope about 1/3 inch in diameter. Using the 4 fingers of your hand (no thumb), roll the rope of dough back and forth until it is a long, slender, tube-like shape (but not enclosed like a tube). Halve the pieces of pasta. Set aside on a clean towel sprinkled with semolina flour. Repeat with the remaining dough. Rest the pasta for 30 minutes.
To cook, generously salt a large pot of boiling water. Add the cavatelli and cook until al dente, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and use with your sauce recipe of choice.