Well it was 5:30 yesterday and I was charged with putting dinner together, which being the on-the-fly creative genius I am, I was able to pull off. It did get me to thinking that there are lots of people out there who really don't have the time or have difficulty putting things together in a hurry which usually leads us to call our favorite pizza place (mine is Pizza Hut by the way) to order our salvation delivered in 16" of recycled paperboard (aka cardboard pizza box). So for some mid-week rescue I thought I'd post this recipe that can be customized in several different ways, which is how I like to teach people about cooking. Here it is, I tried it out and I took out the Cannelini (white) beans because I wanted to use it as a sauce on pasta....oh yeah, I went there!!

Quick Spicy Tomato Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce

2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.