- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 pound thin spaghetti pasta, broken into 1- to 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 rib celery with leafy top, chopped
- 2 carrots, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon light acacia honey or superfine sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed with your hands
- 2 cups passata or tomato purée
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
- A few leaves of basil, torn
- Minced fresh parsley
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In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the uncooked pasta and cook, stirring often, until toasted and golden, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil, two turns of the pan, over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 6-7 minutes.
Uncover, stir in the honey then the vinegar, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes, passata and stock. Using an immersion blender or working in batches in a food processor, purée the soup. Return the soup to the pot (if using a food processor) and bring to a boil.
Add the toasted pasta and simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Divide the soup among bowls; top with basil and parsley.