Creamy Tomato Soup with Egg “Noodles” on Top

Ingredients

2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 large fresh bay leaf
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 quart chicken stock
1 28- to 32-ounce can hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes

A few leaves basil, torn
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
For the Egg “Noodles”:
8 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon butter

Yields: 4

Preparation

For the soup, heat EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, in a large soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, carrot, salt, pepper, thyme, bay and cook partially covered to soften 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and stir 2 minutes; add stock, tomatoes and basil. Simmer partially covered for 30 minutes, remove and discard bay leaf.

Purée soup in a blender and return to pot.

To make the béchamel sauce, melt butter in a saucepot over medium heat, whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk, season with salt and pepper, and let thicken to coat a spoon. Stir béchamel into soup to combine.

For the “noodles,” beat eggs with cheese, salt, pepper and parsley. Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add half of the egg mixture. Swirl into a very thin, large layer, cover with loose foil and cook to completely set, 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining egg mixture. Remove pan from heat and roll up eggs into 2 logs. Slice each log into 1/4-inch “noodles”.

Serve soup in shallow bowls topped with a few “egg noodles”.