The Lederman Kitchen

Although we haven't been blogging about it, we've been cooking almost all of our meals over here.  I've definitely been doing more cooking than usual. Last night I was trying to use up some lettuce and pasta shells that we had from earlier in the week, and came across a Martha Stewart recipe, Pasta with Sausage, Leeks & Lettuce .  I only needed to buy 3 ingredients, perfect! I have to admit, Brian helped/advised a little but I did most of the heavy lifting. And the outcome?  In Brian's words, "The best dinner we've had yet".  Nothing like a little kitchen confidence for me.  It's definitely one for the recipe box.

We were both our of town this week for work, so a Friday night at home with a warm bowl of soup was just what we wanted. This recipe comes from my parents neighbor who brought it to the neighborhood Holiday party.  It's not your typical holiday party appetizer, but when it's this good, it works.  Well.  I had to get my hands on that recipe stat. B didn't believe it until he tried it.  Then he was hooked too.  Just make it, and you'll see what I mean.  Ingredients: 1 lb of Italian sausage (I get half spicy and half mild - thanks for the tip mom!) 2 cloves of garlic - depending on how much you love that 2 cups onion, chopped 2 15oz cans of Italian stewed tomatoes 4 cups beef broth 1/4 cup water 1 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 teaspoon basil 1/4 cup celery, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 2 medium zucchini, sliced 1 can of kidney beans 1 1/2 cup cooked pasta shells or orchiette 1 Tablespoon tomato paste 1/...