SPINACH, SAUSAGE AND ORZO SOUP

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

Orzo is the perfect pasta for soup. Shaped like grains of rice, it cooks quickly in broth, taking on the flavor of the soup.

6 plump sausages — look for something with lots of onion or garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, coarsely chopped 1 stalk of celery, diced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon tomato paste a generous pinch of freshly

grated nutmeg a small pinch of dried oregano scant 3½ cups hot chicken or

vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

3½ ounces orzo or other small

pasta

2½ cups spinach, stems

removed, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons light or heavy

cream salt and freshly ground black

pepper

To serve: fresh parsley, chopped fresh basil, chopped freshly grated Parmesan

Remove the sausage casings and shape the meat into little meatballs. Place the oil in a heavy pan with a lid over medium to high heat and add the sausage meatballs. Brown them all over, then lift out and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt and pepper; sauté for 10 minutes, until soft and beginning to brown.

Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Next, add the nutmeg, oregano, broth, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add the orzo, spinach, and meatballs and simmer for 4 minutes, or until the orzo and meatballs are cooked. Remove from the heat, add the cream, and remove the bay leaf. Taste and add more salt, freshly ground black pepper, or nutmeg, if necessary.

Serve in wide bowls, with the parsley, basil, and freshly grated Parmesan on top.

Tip: Orzo cooks quicker than other pastas, so serve straightaway, otherwise it may become mushy. Switch the fresh herbs for a drizzle of homemade pesto if you fancy, or add a spoonful of aïoli or salsa verde.

Serves: 4

Per serving: 451 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 21 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 34 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 44 milligrams cholesterol, 475 milligrams sodium.