Italian Pasta Bean Stew Recipes

ITALIAN PASTA-BEAN STEW

Steps:

• In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, onion, zucchini and pepper flakes; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add tomatoes and broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 20 minutes.
• Using fork, break up larger pieces of tomato. Stir in pasta. Cover; cook 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir in beans, spinach, basil, vinegar and salt. Cover; let stand 2 minutes. Sprinkle individual servings with Asiago cheese.

SAUSAGE, BEAN AND PASTA STEW

Steps:

• Spread the onions over the bottom of a 5 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker and top with the carrots, garlic, white beans, thyme bundle and sausage links. Mix the diced tomatoes with the broth and 3 cups water and pour over the sausages. Add the Parmesan rind if using.
• Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours; the beans will be tender and begin to fall apart.
• Uncover the slow cooker, remove and discard the thyme bundle and Parmesan rind and transfer the sausage links to a cutting board. Stir the pasta into the stew and continue to cook, covered, until the pasta is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Cut the sausages into bite-size pieces and stir into the stew along with the parsley and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan on the side for sprinkling on top and crusty bread for soaking up the broth.

ITALIAN GREEN BEAN STEW

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook meat in 1 tablespoon butter until browned; drain and set meat aside. In same saucepan, saute the celery, onion and garlic with remaining butter until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, 3/4 cup water, salt, oregano, pepper and reserved meat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour., Stir in beans and parsley. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 30 minutes longer or until meat and beans are tender. Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth. Gradually stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

ITALIAN PASTA AND BEANS (PASTA FAGGIOLI)

Steps:

• Cook pasta as box instructs, in boiling salted water.
• While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot.
• Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
• Add garlic and cook one minute more.
• Add beans, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and water and heat to boiling over high heat.
• Reduce heat to low-med heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.
• Stir in drained pasta, cheese and parsley and cook until heated through.

ITALIAN WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE STEW

Steps:

• Soak beans in cold water, 8 hours to overnight.
• Drain beans and set aside.
• Make a cut down the center of each sausage and peel off the casing. Transfer sausage into a dry soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown sausage, while breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook and stir until juices start to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan, creating a fond, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add onion and stir to coat in the rendered sausage fat. Cook until onion starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add white wine to deglaze the pot. Add black pepper, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and water.
• Add drained beans, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and continue to simmer until beans are tender, about 30 more minutes. Taste beans to be certain they are perfectly cooked.
• Smash about 1/4 of the beans with a potato masher to give the stew a creamy texture if desired. Stir in chopped kale, increase heat to medium, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
• Ladle hot soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

PASTA E CECI (ITALIAN PASTA AND CHICKPEA STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not taking on any color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and red-pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute more. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the tomatoes and the chickpeas, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon or spatula and smashing about 1/2 cup of the beans.
• Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high. Add the pasta and simmer, stirring often to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. The water will mostly be absorbed by the pasta, but if you prefer it brothier, you can add 1/2 to 1 cup water and simmer until warmed through, 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the escarole and stir until wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

SAUSAGE PASTA STEW

Steps:

• In a nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the water, spaghetti sauce, beans, summer squash, carrots, red pepper and onion., Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until vegetables are tender., Stir in the pasta, peas, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BEAN STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a pan and fry sausages to brown lightly all over.
• Turn down heat and add onion, celery and garlic over gentle heat to soften but not brown.
• Pour over Cirio Chopped Tomatoes and bring to bubbling.
• Season, then turn down to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add sage and bay leaves. Spoon in cannellini beans and stir.
• Season again and cook for another 5 minutes to heat beans.