Rocco Gizzo
Pasta e Fagioli gets straight to the point: the classic Italian combination of pasta and beans in a warm, satisfying bowl. It is practical enough for a weeknight without tasting like a compromise. It is exactly the kind of food I want when the weather turns cold. Around here, the food matters, but so does what happens once it gets to the table. I want recipes that give people a reason to sit down, hang out, laugh a little louder and stay longer than they planned. If everybody is reaching back into the plate before dinner is technically over, you did it right. Keep Pasta e Fagioli in mind the next time you want a recipe that feels generous, satisfying and made for sharing. That is what I love about so much Italian cooking: the ingredient list does not have to be a mile long when the flavors make sense together. Give the food a little attention, taste as you go, and let a simple recipe earn its place in the regular rotation.
Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 4 cans white beans or 1lb dried, separated
- 2 cups Ditalini pasta
- 8 cups chicken broth or veggies, 2 cups set aside
- 1 yellow onion small dice
- 2 medium carrots small dice
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste double concentrate
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 sprig sage
- Salt
- Pepper
- EVOO
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the canned beans. Set 2 cans aside. Add the remaining 2 cans to a blender with a little water and blend until smooth, adding more water as needed until you get a smooth bean paste. Then set aside.
- Place a Dutch oven over medium heat, and drizzle with EVOO. Once hot, add the onions and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender (about 7 minutes). Add the garlic and a red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes until you get a deep red color.
- Add the blended beans and stir until fully incorporated with the vegetables. Then add 6 cops of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add a bouquet garni of sage and rosemary, along with the remaining whole beans. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the Ditalini pasta, and cook, stirring consistently for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked (See Notes). If the soup begins to thicken too fast, add the remaining 2 cups of broth, a 1/2 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. NOTE: The soup might look really thin, as the soup cooks, and then sits, the pasta will release its starch and soak up the broth and thicken up. But DO NOT leave the stove – if you don’t stir consistently, the pasta will stick together.
- Once done, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then ladle the soup into a bowl and top with a fresh sage leaf, a drizzle of EVOO, freshly grated parm, and a few cracks of black pepper.
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