Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli, a classic Italian soup, warms you up on cold winter days with its hearty blend of beans, pasta, and vegetables.
Pasta e Fagioli, a classic Italian soup, warms you up on cold winter days with its hearty blend of beans, pasta, and vegetables.
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup dry cannellini beans soaked
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 carrot, minced
- 1 cup chopped ham
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup seashell pasta
- Carbohydrate 55.7211694197538 g
- Cholesterol 66.904874516 mg
- Fat 22.0303495230162 g
- Fiber 1.05370499973297 g
- Protein 95.3510188099491 g
- Saturated Fat 6.18960472346385 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (4011g)
- Sodium 9145.38968534743 mg
- Sugar 54.6674644200208 g
- Trans Fat 1.29918274650962 g
- Calories 786 calories
Step-by-step
- Drain the beans and set aside.
- In a large stockpot heat the oil over moderate heat until hot. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add ham and garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, beans, beef stock, thyme, bay leaf and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Transfer 1/2 cup of the beans to a small processor or blender and puree. Return beans to pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring liquid to a boil and add pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 6 minutes.
Adapting the Base Aromatics
Can you substitute ground pork or pancetta for the chopped ham? Yes, cured meats render varying amounts of fat. Adjust the initial olive oil downward if your alternative protein is excessively fatty to prevent an oily surface layer. Mincing the onion, carrot, and celery uniformly ensures they soften evenly during the initial five-minute saute.
Managing Beans and Thickeners
Dry cannellini beans require soaking beforehand to hydrate evenly. Pureeing a portion of the cooked beans and returning them to the pot acts as a natural starch thickener. This technique creates a velvety body without adding flour or cream. Simmering the mixture covered for thirty minutes allows the legumes to soften fully.
Incorporating Pasta
Seashell pasta absorbs liquid rapidly once added to the boiling broth. Cook the pasta directly in the soup for approximately six minutes until it reaches an al dente texture. Scaling the portion up or down requires monitoring the liquid levels closely, as excess pasta will absorb the beef stock entirely if left sitting off heat.
