Chicken and Cavatelli Soup

A hearty bowl of this chicken and pasta will fill your tummy and warm your soul. This dish is somewhere between a soup and a stew, the flavors reminiscent of my Dad's chicken and dumplings I grew up eating. You may want to set your table with spoons AND forks!

Cavatellis are Italian pastas, sometimes made with ricotta, sometimes without. The ones made with ricotta are sold frozen in some supermarkets or Italian specialty stores. I realize living in New York, finding Italian delis are like finding banks, we have them everywhere. If this is not common in your neighborhood, you can use orecchiette or noodles instead or even homemade spaetzle would be great.

There is a lot more liquid when you first make this, it's more like a soup. But as it sits, it thickens, and the pasta absorbs the liquid. This photo was actually taken the next day when I reheated it for lunch. One bowl is very satisfying, even for my husband who has a hearty appetite.

White meat lovers, you can replace the thighs with 4 breast halves but you'll have to cook it for less time. Let the soup simmer 15 minutes without the chicken, then cook 15 more minutes with the chicken, remove chicken after 15 minutes, cut or shred, then add back to pot when you add the pasta. (7 points+)

Enjoy!


Chicken and Cavatelli Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 5 • Size: 2 thighs w pasta and broth • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 9 pts
(If using white meat, 7 pts+ for 4 chicken breasts)
Calories: 347.1 • Fat: 7.8 g • Carbs: 33.0 g • Fiber: 2.2 g • Protein: 33.9 g

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 5 cups low sodium fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 10 skinless chicken thighs, all fat removed
• 8 oz frozen ricotta cavatelli

Directions:

In a large pot, melt butter. Add onion and cook on low about 6 minutes, until onions are soft. Add flour and stir, cooking another minute.

Add chicken broth, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.

Add chicken and bring to a boil, then partially cover, simmer on low 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook cavatelli in a pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain and add to soup when soup has cooked. Cook another minute or two. Remove bay leaves and divide in five bowls.

To reheat, you may need to add a little water.