Chicken Soup Rigatoni with Red Pesto and Arugula...

You can find a good chicken soup recipe in just about all of the regions in Italy. This soup is very good and very simple. The basic ingredients are: 2 large fresh chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), onion, chicken stock or bullion, red pesto and rigatoni pasta... arugula to top it off.

To begin, saute onion in a combination of olive oil and butter. Once browned, add 4 tsps of balsamic vinegar (4 good shakes from the bottle). Set aside and prepare the chicken. Slice and or dice each breast into small pieces. Fill a large pot with water (10 cups), add a generous pinch of salt, one cup of rich chicken stock or 2 bullion cubes. As this comes to a rolling boil, add the diced chicken and some dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano along with a bit of sage and parsley.

Once the meat is white (cooked) scoop the onion with balsamic vinegar from the skillet into the soup pot and also one box of rigatoni pasta or boil separately which is preferable. I usually do not add pasta/rice/potatoes to any soup because if it is not eaten in one dinner sitting, you will have the same soup the next day. It is better to keep a rich vibrant stock which can morph into other soups.

When the pasta is tender, drain and ladle into bowls pouring the soup over the pasta topping with a dollop of red pesto and fresh chopped arugula.

~ Tutti a Tavola!