Category: italian

Zuppa Toscana – Olive Garden (Copycat) Recipe

Welcome back to Ankitha Gadag Recipes! One of my favorite soups at Olive Garden was the Zuppa Toscana soup. Zuppa Toscana literally means Tuscan Soup, which is a combination of garden vegetables in a creamy broth with spicy meats. This particular recipe was born out of need… I needed to get rid of a ton of veggies in my fridge! But as they say – Necessity is the mother of invention, and this recipe has been one of my favorite soup recipes EVER!! It is creamy, spicy and has a ton of texture from the crispy bacon to the melt-in-your-mouth potatoes.

What makes this recipe extra special is the fact that it meets a lot of different dietary constraints – whether you are practicing whole 30, keto or paleo diets, I have got you covered. It’s so, so delicious and I hope you make it while it’s still soup SZN.

What you will need:

  • kale (1 bunch)
  • onion (1)
  • celery (1 stalk)
  • spicy italian sausage (casing removed) – 1 lb
  • turkey bacon (2 strips)
  • prosciutto (1/4 lb)
  • 1 jalapeno
  • garlic (2 tbsp)
  • sweet potato (1)
  • coconut milk – 1/2 can
  • chicken bone broth (32 oz)
  • fresh herbs (3 sprigs thyme, 1 sprig rosemary, 2 sprigs oregano)
  • arrow root starch (2 tbsp)
  • paprika (1 tbsp)
  • nutritional yeast (1/4 th cup)
  • juice of 1 lemon

Steps

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, start by browning your chopped prosciutto and bacon. Remove and set aside
  2. Add in some olive oil and saute all your veggies, except the greens ( onion, celery, jalapeno, sweet potato, garlic). Saute for about 5 mins.
  3. Next, add in your sausage. Break apart in the pot till meat is browned.
  4. Mix in the arrowroot starch, until well coated. Slowly add in the broth, while constantly stirring.
  5. Add in the coconut milk along with the herbs, paprika, salt & pepper. Cover and cook for 5-10 mins.
  6. Remove the fresh herbs. Add in greens, nutritional yeast and juice of 1 lemon. Cook for a few mins longer until kale is mixed in.
  7. Serve hot and top with prosciutto/bacon combination. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Veggie Pesto Pasta

Pasta can be flavorful… and healthy
This spicy, garlic pesto shrimp pasta is packed with mouth-watering flavors. Its still creamy from the pesto yet light without all the heavy cream that is typical of pasta dishes. The charred broccoli in the dish brings a great crunch to complement the shrimp. This dish is truly the best of both worlds… flavor and health.
I used an orecchiette pasta from Italy for this dish, but feel free to incorporate your favorite type of pasta. I have tried this recipe in the past with angel hair pasta and spaghetti.

spicy garlic shrimp pesto pasta

Ingredients: 

  • Garlic (A TON, around 10 cloves)
  • Parsley (a handful)
  • Shrimp (1 lb)
  • 1/4 th cup pesto ( used this pre-made italian version which can be found here )
  • dash of black pepper
  • 1 jalapeno
  • dash of dried basil
  • dash of dried oregano
  • dash of red pepper flakes
  • Broccolli florets ( I used broccolli, but this would also go great with mushrooms, asparagus, or zucchini)
  • 1 lime
  • Parmesan grated (for topping)
  • Pasta ( of your choice, I used orecchiette )
Recipe:
garlic parsely pesto

  1. Grind the garlic, parsley and jalapeno into a paste
        2. Heat olive oil in low heat, and add the parsley pesto blend (from step #1) into the pan

  1. Add in the shrimp to this mix

  2. Cook on low heat for a few mins. Add the lime, salt, and black pepper at this point. You want  to heavily coat the shrimp with the black pepper.

  3. After cooking for 5-7 mins, add the broccoli florets, pesto, and all other spices. Stir in and cover for 5-10  mins.

pesto shrimp

  1. Once the flavors are cooked into the shrimp and the veggies, it will form a gravy. At this point you can add in the pasta.and stir. You can avoid overcooking the shrimp by turning off the heat before the shrimp start to form into circular rings.

  2. Top with a heaping spoonful of Parmesan, and serve! Voila!

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