Scarves!

“It’s time to retire the scarves [into my mouth].” – best line of tonight’s Smash Season 2 premiere

Hey, you know that unbelievably real but somehow unattainable dream you have like twice a week during which you eat a big bowl of pasta but it feels super light and refreshing and delicate? And it gives you all the energy you need to plan an amazing Art Nouveau and marshmallow themed party for Katy Perry and Martin Starr, with Donald Glover as the surprise musical guest in the third act? And wait, is that Jakob Dylan bringing freshly baked cookies to your creepy hotel room (why!)?

My friends, your dreams are about to become reality. Or at least the first part of that dream that only I have had. 

Hearty pasta. Delicate broth. HEALTHY. (I reserve the right to define that last word there as I see fit.)

Let’s go back to the reason for this soup. It’s that magical time of year again: that time when Kelly and I get to laugh uproariously at joyously overcrapped acting/writing/editing/directing/costuming that is SMASH. People talk about how Downton Abbey is the bad teevee that we all love to wallow in, and while I agree (and obvs like DA more (I’m not a jerk)), Smash is just so much more make-fun-of-able. We talked through at least half of tonight’s two-hour premiere (the only way it was even watchable), and made plans to make Smash Tuesdays one of the highlights of 2013.

If you didn’t watch Season 1 of Smash (I don't blame you), allow me to sum up: Songs, scandals, martinis-in-faces, Debra Messing in scarves. I certainly wouldn’t eat a scandalous, gin-based soup that sings to me (what? I need to go to bed) – so I took my cue for tonight’s soup from the wardrobe department. This fortified tomato broth is laced with slippery scarves of tagliatelle and kale, and topped with shaved Parmesan and slivered basil. Kelly noted the pleasant kick of licorice from the basil (grrrrrl, check out that palate on you!).

Apparently (if that quote up top is any indication) there will be no more scarves in Smash, but I daresay this will make a reappearance in my life in some form. On a sick day, this might even quell my desire to fly to LA for some ramen.

You need a spoon and a fork to eat this soup (a spork, a spork, my kingdom for a spork), and – if you’re me – a mouth to sip every last bit of broth.So good luck if you don't have any of those things.

Oh, one addition to above aforementioned dreamscape: Not only do you get a big bowl of pasta, you also get mashed potatoes. Low carb diets: sorry, you lose this time always. Kelly made some awesome roasted red bell peppers stuffed with SMASHed potatoes (get it?), and a beautiful dessert of mixed berries topped with a ricotta/lemon zest/vanilla/honey mixture that I would/will eat on the reg. Oh, what a Tuesday.

On a related note: Just got off the phone with my BFF Jess . We were catching up ‘n’ stuff, and I started to realize I didn’t really have anything exciting with which I could up-catch her. She, in her always-uplifting BFF way, offered, “You’re amazing! You’ve been making soups…” which has to be the worst way in the history of the world to make someone feel she isn’t old and boring, AND I LOVE HER FOR IT. So, thank you, my love, for giving your all to make me feel less boring. Soup! Right? Soup.

Other related note: I love the Italian gl that makes that “lyuh” sound, and I super love it when servers in restaurants try to correct me when I say it the right-ish way. Sorry, beb. I may say it American-y, but I just can’t bring myself to say TAG-liatelle or AG-nolotti. LYUH.

OH MAN THAT WAS TOO ANTAGONISTIC. Here’s a hedgehog in a measuring cup.

I stole him from the Internet.

Scarves: Requiescat in pace.

Soupe de Foulards (jk that's ridiculous)

Tagliatelle in Tomato Garlic Broth  

Serves 3 or 4

GET THIS STUFF

a few glugs of olive oil
2 small shallots, coarsely chopped
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
½ cup dry white wine
28-oz can of diced San Marzano tomatoes
2 c vegetable stock
a few sprigs of basil, parsley and thyme
3 nests of tagliatelle (I used two that were infused with chianti and one with basil—but really any pasta will do)
1 c lacinato kale (cavolo nero) leaves cut into thin ribbons (discard the stalks or save for making stock)
garnish: shaved Parmesan and julienne basil

DO THIS WITH IT

Heat the oil over medium in your soup pot and add shallots, celery and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes, till they soften up a bit.
Add garlic cloves and cook for another minute.
Add wine and cook until it reduces by half.
Add tomatoes with juice, vegetable stock and herbs. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 45 minutes.
Strain with a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing vegetables with a spatula to get all that sweet, sweet juice out. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add tagliatelle.
Cook 5 minutes and add kale for an additional 3 minutes, then strain.

Divide pasta and kale among bowls, and ladle broth on top of it. Top with basil and Parmesan.

One of my most constant pantry staples.