Recipe For Pasta Fazool

VEGAN PASTA E FAGIOLE

Steps:

• Set a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add olive oil. When hot, add the onion. Saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary, and smoked paprika. Saute, stirring constantly, for one more minute.
• Add TWO cans of beans to the pot, liquid included.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture right in the pot (you can also puree in a blender and return the mixture to the pot).
• Drain the remaining can of beans and add to the pot, along with the broth, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil.
• Once boiling, add the pasta. Cook until al dente (the exact time depends on package directions - usually about 8 minutes).
• Taste, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
• Ladle into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, parmesan (for the non-vegans) or vegan parmesan if using, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Don't forget the crusty bread served alongside!

PASTA FAZOOL

Steps:

• Cook the pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta to paper towels to drain, reserving the fat in the pot.
• Add the onion and some salt to the pot and cook until beginning to soften. Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and a couple pinches of salt to the pot and saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Mash the garlic with a drizzle of olive oil to form a paste. Add the garlic mixture and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
• Deglaze the pot with the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, beans, tomatoes and up to 1 cup water to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Puree the soup with an immersion blender, about 30 seconds, keeping at least half of the beans intact (or puree in a regular blender, then return to the pot). Add a little more stock to thin out the soup.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes.
• Strain the past in a colander. In the pot with the soup, stir in the pancetta and half each of the parmesan and basil. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
• To serve, divide the pasta between the bowls and ladle some soup on top. Garnish with the remaining parmesan and basil. Finish with a crack of black pepper.
• Split open and quarter 1 baguette. Layer thick slices of sharp provolone and thinly sliced soppressata on the bread. Add some baby arugula and drizzle with sweet Italian vinaigrette.

NEW YEAR'S "GOOD LUCK" PASTA FAZOOL

Steps:

• Place a cold soup pot over medium heat. Add sliced bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat has rendered out and the bacon begins to crisp up, about 5 minutes. Drain off most of the excess fat with a paper towel if desired, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add onions, celery, and salt. Saute until and softened onions turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir in black pepper, cayenne, dried thyme, dried oregano, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste starts to caramelize onto the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir in chicken broth and water and raise the heat to high. Bring to a simmer over high heat; reduce heat to medium and let simmer while you prep the Swiss chard.
• Remove chard leaves from tough stems. Gather a handful of leaves and slice across in one direction; turn and slice across again. Repeat with remaining chard. Place into a bowl and fill with water. Swish around to remove dirt; transfer washed greens a handful at a time to another bowl to drain.
• Stir the Swiss chard into the pot and simmer over medium heat until greens become tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
• Stir in the drained beans and raise the heat to high; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Once the pasta is tender, check the seasoning. Serve immediately in large bowls. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and red pepper flakes.

PASTA FAZOOL (PASTA E FAGIOLI)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown sausage while breaking it into small pieces, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add diced celery and chopped onion. Cook until onions are translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add dry pasta. Cook and stir 2 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste until evenly distributed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3 cups broth. Raise heat to high and bring to a simmer. Add salt, black pepper, pepper flakes, and oregano. When soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let it simmer about 5 minutes, stirring often. Check soup consistency and add more broth, if needed.
• Place chopped chard in a bowl. Cover with cold water and rinse the leaves; any grit will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Transfer chard to colander to drain briefly; add to soup. Cook and stir until leaves wilt, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in white beans; continue cooking and stirring until pasta is perfectly cooked, another 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese. Serve topped with grated cheese, if desired.

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.

PASTA FAZOOL

Steps:

• Add the EVO, onion, garlic, carrot and celery to a 1-2 gal. cooking pot.
• Cook on medium low heat until they are soft and the onions transparent (Appr. 15-20 mins).
• While the vegetables are cooking, mix the beef, egg, onion powder, garlic powder, 2 TBS. parsley flakes, 1/2 tbs. basil, bread crumbs, 2 Tbs. parseman cheese, S & P. Shape into tiny meatballs (Appr. 1/2 " in diameter) are fry until done. You may need to cook several batches, depending on the size of your skillet.
• After the vegetables have cooked, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, and the rest of the parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, sugar, & baking soda. Stir occasionally until foam disappears from the baking soda.
• Cook until well mixed and add the meatballs.
• Simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours and then add the beans. Simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes. Add water to the soup if it seems to get too thick.
• While the soup is simmering, Cook the ditalini noodles until they are a-denti. DO NOT OVERCOOK!
• Add the pasta to the soup just before serving. Do not add the pasta to the soup too soon! The longer the soup cooks with the noodles, the larger the noodles get.
• Serve with a crusty bread, green salad, and extra Parmesan cheese.
• Measurements are not brain surgery. Be close, and you cannot make a mistake. ENJOY!

PASTA "FAZOOL"

Steps:

• Cook the pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta to paper towels to drain, reserving the fat in the pot.
• Add the onion, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and a couple pinches of salt to the pot and saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
• Deglaze the pot with the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
• Add the chicken stock, beans, tomatoes and 1 cup water to the pot. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Puree the soup with an immersion blender, about 30 seconds, keeping at least half of the beans intact (or puree in a regular blender, then return to the pot). Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes. Stir in the pancetta and half each of the parmesan and basil. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, and garnish with the remaining parmesan and basil.
• Serve with Soppressata Sandwiches.
• Split open and quarter 1 baguette. Layer thick slices of sharp provolone and thinly sliced soppressata on the bread. Add some baby arugula and drizzle with sweet Italian vinaigrette.

PASTA FAZOOL CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Sauté first 6 ingredients in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until sausage and beef are brown, crumbling with fork, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and cayenne and simmer 5 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Add kidney beans and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Add mostaccioli, Parmesan and parsley and toss to combine. Transfer to 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts, about 30 minutes.