When I open my freezer and see quarts and pints of homemade broth, I feel safer and more secure. It's like when I take a peek at my bank account and see enough money to cover the week's bills with no fear of the dreaded overdraft.
Homemade broth with a little bit of pasta or rice brings an assurance of dinner—maybe not a lavish meal, but a nourishing one.
While you can make a broth with literal scraps — whether roasted bones from meat, shells from shrimp, or the pieces of vegetables you might otherwise throw away — I know not everyone is in the habit of doing this. And sometimes, you run out of the good homemade stuff but still crave soup.
So I started playing around with ways to doctor store-bought broth to make it taste richer and more flavorful.
A smashed garlic clove instantly punches up the flavor, and a Parmesan rind brings a little bit of umami depth and texture. A longer simmer would enrich the broth even more, but 10 to 15 minutes draw out enough of the cheese flavor to make a difference when you need to get dinner on the table fast.
Steeping slices of lemon for a minute or so before you serve the broth gives it a fragrant lift. (Don't steep them any longer because the pith will make the soup bitter.)
While it's tempting to cook the tortellini in the broth, it's better not to. This way, you can keep the broth nice and clear, and you'll also need less of it.
To wilt the spinach, I go the laziest possible route. There's no boiling and then squeezing out the excess liquid while you risk burning your hands.
Instead, I put the spinach in the colander and drain the pasta over top. The hot water and pasta wilt the spinach while the holes in the colander allow any excess liquid to drain — no squeezing necessary.
As for the tortellini, I use the 5-cheese version from Rana. Most types of tortellini would taste delicious here — those with just cheese, butternut squash, mushrooms, or spinach and cheese would also be excellent.
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