I am attempting to make Pasta e Fagioli, a bean and pasta soup that comes in as many variations as pronunciations, for the first time. I must admit that my book of family recipes does not hold a generation-tested, ingredient-perfected version of this hearty soup, but I do recall a potent bean minestra that my grandfather served on occasion to use as the inspiration for this old favorite. Use whatever beans or pasta you have on hand. I am using heirloom calypso beans and macaroni, but you can get creative. I also decided not to use canned beans as soaked and cooked beans tend to have a smoother texture.
PASTA e FAGIOLI
Ingredients:
T olive oil
1 chopped red onion
1 chopped celery stalk
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp Thyme, Oregano, Basil
30 oz (or 2 cans) beans
1.5 C tomato puree
1.5 C h2o (or bean broth)
3 C vegetable broth
1.5 C pasta (macaroni or whatever you prefer)
1 C C quartered cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C fresh parsley finely chopped
sprinkle of cheese (or nutritional yeast for the vegans)
- Saute' onion and celery 5 min or until soft. Add garlic and saute' an additional minute.
- Add some salt and Thyme, Oregano and Basil and stir 1 min.
- Add beans, tomato puree, water and vegetable broth and cook down for 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta and cook until al dente, be sure to add the cherry tomatoes a bit beforehand.
- For thicker broth add a tsp of cornstarch or arrowroot dissolved in 1 T cold h20.
- Sprinkle in parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
*tip: to soak your beans place them in a large bowl full of water and two bay leaves. Leave them overnight, rinse and cook. I use a pressure cooker and then use the leftover starchy water for the soup, which gives it a great creamy texture.
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