Bellissimo!

I don't need to travel to Italy for fine Italian food anymore because I can cook it at home.

Tonight I made Zuppa Toscana for the second time in two weeks. When I made it last time, I cooked one batch for four people. With only one bowl left over, I regretted not making more. It was tasty and soup usually re-heats beautifully. So tonight, I made two batches of soup for Ben and me. And we have leftovers!

OK, the thing I said about not needing to go to Italy for fine Italian food, well, that's the dumbest sentence I've ever written on this blog. First, everyone should to go to Italy. Further, Ben and I spent 10 days there this summer, and I didn't see Zuppa Toscana pop up on one menu. And trust me, we dined at plenty of restaurants all over the country, including the famed Tuscany. I doubt Zuppa Toscana is authentic Italian. Heck, it's probably not even Italian-American. It's just Olive Garden -- a chain restaurant -- at its finest.

Well, boys and girls, I'll settle for authentic Olive Garden. Because the Zuppa Toscana is that good.


*To get the Zuppa Toscana recipe and read about my first time making it, click here.

**The soup has a weird tint because I greased the pans I used for baking the sausages. Last time, when I didn't grease the pan, I spent days -- DAYS -- scrubbing the pans. Lesson learned. Although the soup's color is a bit...umm...funny looking.