Brr!!!

The past week has been quite cold in much of Italy, with abundant snow in the north, and more expected between tonight and tomorrow (it's supposed to clear for New Year's Eve, in case you were wondering). With weather like this, comfort foods are definitely indicated, and among my favorites are hearty soups. Minestrone, for instance, or pasta e fagioli:

• Pasta e Fagioli
  Pasta e fagioli, also known as pasta fazool (and many other variations on the spelling) is a universal comfort soup that almost everyone has come up with, and there are a tremendous number of local variations on the theme in Italy. This particular pasta e fagioli recipe is Tuscan.
• Artusi's Minestrone Recipe
  Minestrone is one of Italy's signature dishes, and every region has its own variety. This minestrone recipe is drawn from Pellegrino Artusi, the late dean of Italian gastronomes, and as you read it you will understand why his book is still selling briskly a century later.
• Adriana's Minestrone di Verdure
  This is a Veronese variation on a classic Italian theme, and is extraordinarily creamy, thanks to a healthy number of potatoes. Adriana says you can use short pasta such as ditalini in the dish, but that she prefers croutons instead, which provide a pleasant texture contrast.