Potato and Pesto Soup

Yesterday, I decided to pull out a recipe that I have not made in a very long time.  Long time - you are probably thinking, oh the past couple of months.  Not even close!  I pulled this one out from before the husband and I got married.  I did not think I had any "unknown to hubby" recipes left.  I found it while trying to map out our monthly meal plan.  Here it is:

Potato and Pesto Soup

from the past

Ingredients

3 slices bacon
1 pound potatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 ½ cups chicken broth
2 ½ cups milk
¾ cup macaroni
⅔ cup heavy cream
parsley, chopped
salt
pepper
parmesan cheese
Pesto Sauce

Steps

1. Finely chop the bacon, potatoes, and onions. Fry the bacon with the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add the butter, potatoes, and onions and cook for 12 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Add the stock and the milk to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the macaroni and simmer for a further 10-12 minutes.
3. Stir in the cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the parsley, salt and pepper, and 2 tbsp of pesto sauce. Transfer the soup to serving bowls and serve with parmesan cheese and fresh garlic bread.

The Finished Product

I was a little tentative about making this blast from the past but I was not let down.  The hubby enjoyed it and JT, my toughest critic, decided he wanted to try some (lately he has been rather unwilling to eat our dinners).  JT ate the pasta and sucked the cream broth off of the potatoes - weirdo!  For your knowledge, 1 pound of potatoes is approximately 2 medium/large potatoes.  I chopped up three and that was clearly too much.  I also forgot about 1/2 a cup of chicken broth.  Don't forget it as it will yield more "soup" at the end.  I also used campanelle (they look like flowers) but I would recommend using a shorter/smaller macaroni than that - cavatelli, radiatori, orecchiette, or a gnocchi - but not as short as orzo or ditalini.  Enjoy!