The Certifiable Wenches

Italian Sub Stoup*

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Ingredients

· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

· 3/4 pound, 3 links, hot or sweet Italian sausage, split and meat removed from casing

· 1/2 bag of sliced pepperoni or turkey pepperoni

· 1 ham steak, diced (about 1/2 to 3/4 pound)

· 1 green bell pepper, seeded, quartered and sliced

· 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, quartered and sliced

· 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

· Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

· 6 cups chicken stock

· 1/2 pound gemelli pasta or other short-cut pasta

· Garlic croutons or crisps

· Shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions

Place a soup pot or deep sided skillet on the stove top and preheat to medium high heat. Add olive oil, 2 turns of the pan and the sausage. Brown and crumble the sausage, drain off excess fat if necessary then add the ham and pepperoni. Cook meats together 2 minutes then add peppers and onions and cook 2 or 3 minutes more. Add diced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and bring stoup to a boil. Stir in pasta and cook for 8 minutes. Ladle up the stoup and add the mozzarella cheese and several toasty garlic croutons in each bowl.

Recipe Review

After I made this recipe for my husband the first time, it quickly became one of his favorites! It’s pretty simple and quick to make. The most time consuming part is “chopping” up the sausage in the pan so the chunks are smaller. I changed Rachael’s original recipe a bit to make it a little easier. I also do not put in the green pepper – I don’t want the flavor to take over too much. Also, I buy 3 small ham steaks from our local market as it is a little less expensive, and you are just chopping it up anyway. You could buy the kind that’s already chopped up if you need a time saver. The garlic croutons soak up the liquid, and really add a nice touch of flavor to it. I love garlic and put it in almost everything.

I give this recipe 5 out of 5 stars!

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings

*If you are not familiar with Rachael Ray’s “terms” that she makes up, a stoup is thicker than a soup, and thinner than a stew.