Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients • 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil • 1 onion, finely chopped • 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped • 1 carrot, finely diced • Salt and pepper • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped • 1 large fresh bay leaf • 3 tablespoons tomato paste • 1 quart chicken stock • 1 28- to 32-ounce can hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes • A few leaves basil, torn • 2 tablespoons butter • 2 tablespoons flour • 1 1/2 cups whole milk • • For the Egg “Noodles”: • 8 eggs • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese • Salt and pepper • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped • 1 tablespoon butter Yields: 4

Preparation For the soup, heat EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, in a large soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, carrot, salt, pepper, thyme, bay and cook partially covered to soften 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and stir 2 minutes; add stock, tomatoes and basil. Simmer partially covered for 30 minutes, remove and discard bay leaf. Purée soup in a blender and return to pot. To make the béchamel sauce, melt butter in a saucepot over medium heat, whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk, season with salt and pepper, and let thicken to coat a spoon. Stir béchamel into soup to combine. For the “noodles,” beat eggs with cheese, salt, pepper and parsley. Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add half of the egg mixture. Swirl into a very thin, large layer, cover with loose foil and cook to completely set, 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining egg mixture. Remove pan from heat and roll up eggs into 2 logs. Slice each log into 1/4-inch “noodles”. Serve soup in shallow bowls topped with a few “egg noodles”. Rachael Ray