Authentic Pasta E Fagioli Recipes

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook the celery, carrots, onion and garlic until they're tender.
• Stir the broth, Italian seasoning and tomatoes in the skillet. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
• Add the pasta and beans and cook for 5 minutes.
• Place half of the broth mixture into a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour the pureed mixture into the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is hot.

AUTHENTIC PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Drain ONE can of beans, and set aside.
• In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Add onion and pancetta and saute until onions are golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and saute about 4 additional minutes.
• Transfer sauteed ingredients to a blender or food processor and add the two other cans of beans (liquid included). Puree until smooth.
• Add the pureed mixture back into the pot, along with the drained beans, the chicken and beef broth, salt, and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Once the pasta is cooked, remove from heat.
• Taste, and add more salt if necessary.
• Serve, topped with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese, if you like.

PASTA E FAGIOLI: THE AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Steps:

• If pre-boiling the beans, pre-soak them overnight in abundant water. Simmer them the next day until tender, about an hour or so depending on how old your beans are, seasoning with salt towards the end of cooking. (If you like, you can add a garlic clove and a sprig of parsley.)
• Fry the pancetta, cut up into cubes or lardons, in olive oil until just beginning to brown, then add the garlic cloves and rosemary. (You can also add a peperoncino at this point if you like some spice.)
• Just when you start to smell the garlic and rosemary, add the canned tomatoes, which you should crush in your hands as you add them to the pot. (I just add one or two plus a little juice, just enough to lightly color the soup and add a little flavor) and simmer until the tomatoes have separated from the oil.
• Then add your cannellini beans, allow them to simmer for a minute or two to insaporire (absorb the flavors of the tomato and other ingredients) and then add water (or broth) and partially cooked pasta (see below).
• Continue simmering, squashing some of the beans against the side of the pot so that they 'melt' into the liquid and thicken it, until the pasta is fully cooked.
• I like to mix in a bit of grated pecorino cheese to enrich the soup before serving. Serve topped with you choice of additional grated cheese, freshly ground pepper and/or un filo d'olio.

TRADITIONAL PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Cover beans with cold water in a large bowl. Transfer to the refrigerator, and let beans soak 8 hours (or overnight). Drain.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil and the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add onion, celery, and crushed garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans, chile, rosemary sprig, and bay leaf.
• Gradually stir in 8 cups stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer soup until beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours (time varies depending on bean).
• Process carrot, minced garlic, parsley, and remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor until vegetables and herbs are finely chopped.
• Stir the Swiss chard and pasta into soup. Cook until pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. If soup seems too thick, thin with remaining cup stock to desired consistency. Discard bay leaf. Season soup with salt and pepper. Stir in carrot mixture, and garnish with chopped rosemary.

EASY PASTA FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute carrot, celery and onion until soft. Add garlic and saute briefly. Stir in tomato sauce, chicken broth, pepper, parsley and basil; simmer for 20 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ditalini pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Add beans to the sauce mixture and simmer for a few minutes. When pasta is done, stir into sauce and bean mixture.