Sausage and Pasta Soup

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound sweet Italian sausage or half sweet/half hot, casings removed

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1½ cups carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

Pinch dried red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 (14- to 16-ounce) can diced tomatoes

7 cups chicken broth

1 (15- to 16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1½ cups dried orecchiette, fusilli or farfalle

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Grated Parmesan cheese, garnish

DIRECTIONS

Heating 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add sausage and break up into bite-sized pieces using a spatula, cooking 5 minutes and stirring occasionally. Add onion, carrots, celery, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes and their liquid, broth and kidney beans; bring to simmer and reduce heat. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Add pasta and chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Ina Garten’s Pan-Fried Onion Dip

Makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

2 large yellow onions

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS

Cut onions in half, then slice into 1/8-inch-thick half-rounds. Heat the butter and oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool. (You can rough chop onions at this point if you like — but don’t lose the butter and oil mixture.)

Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Season to taste. Serve at room temperature with crackers and crudite.

— Adapted from “The Barefoot Contessa” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, $32.50)

Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake

Serves 10 to 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

Soft butter and flour for the pan

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided use

1¼ teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups fresh blueberries

1¼ cups granulated sugar

1 lemon

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut in chunks, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, room temperature

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup buttermilk (well shaken before measuring), room temperature

Powdered sugar for dusting

Ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan, dust with flour, and invert and tap out excess flour.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder and baking soda.

In a separate bowl, toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour.

Put sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Grate lemon zest over sugar and using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 1 minute.

Add butter and salt; mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs, one at a time, beating for a minute after each egg goes in. Beat in vanilla and then the oil. You will have a glossy, creamy mixture. On low speed, mix in buttermilk.

Turn off mixer and add flour mixture all at once; pulse mixer on low a few times. Beat on low speed only until dry ingredients disappear, and batter is smooth. Using a flexible spatula, fold in berries.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Smooth top and swivel pan from side to side to even batter and get into all the curves. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until top is brown and sides of cake pull away from the pan when gently nudged; a skewer inserted in center of cake will come out clean.

Transfer cake to cooling rack and rest 15 minutes. Invert on cooling rack to unmold. Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar. If desired, serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

— “Everyday Dorie” by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35)