Low Fat Pasta E Fagioli Italian Pasta Bean Soup Food

LOW-FAT PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Place beans in a small stockpot, cover with cold water, and let soak overnight. Drain beans; set aside. Dry stockpot.
• Melt butter in stockpot over medium-low heat. Add celery, onion, and 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic; saute until translucent. Add beans, 1 tablespoon rosemary, stock, potato, tomatoes, pepper, and 3 1/2 cups water. Raise heat to high; bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Fifteen minutes before soup is done, stir in salt.
• Meanwhile, bring a stock pot of cold, salted water to a boil over a high heat. Add pasta and cook until slightly underdone, 5 to 6 minutes; set aside. Pass soup through a food mill, holding back one-third of whole beans. Return soup and beans to the stockpot along with the pasta. Keep warm over low heat.
• Chop remaining 1/4 teaspoon garlic and tablespoon rosemary with basil, parsley, and sage until finely minced. Stir into soup, and divide among six soup bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with 1 tablespoon Parmesan; serve immediately.

LOW-FAT PASTA E FAGIOLI (ITALIAN PASTA & BEAN SOUP)

Steps:

• Combine onion, carrots, celery, fennel, and garlic in a food processor and process until vegetables are finely chopped, about 15 seconds (or finely chop by hand).
• Heat oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 2-3 minutes, Stir in tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add beans and pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender but firm (al dente), about 10 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in basil and parsley. Garnish each serving with some cheese, if desired.

PASTA E FAGIOLI (ITALIAN SOUP) WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat.
• Cook onion in oil 2 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, celery and carrots and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add and brown crumbled sausage.
• Add basil, oregano and red pepper.
• Toss to coat.
• Stir in tomatoes and stock.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
• If necessary, add an additional cup of stock or water and stir in beans and tiny pasta.
• Simmer for 6- 8 minutes or until pasta is tender.
• Stir in parsley and serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese.

PASTA AND BEAN SOUP (PASTA E FAGIOLI)

Steps:

• Combine beans and water in an 8-quart heavy pot and soak, covered, 12 hours.
• Add vegetables and 1 tablespoon rosemary to pot and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 2 hours.
• Using a slotted spoon, set aside 1 heaping cup bean mixture, then reserve 2 cups cooking liquid separately.
• Force remaining soup through a food mill into a very large bowl.
• Cook pancetta in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring, until it begins to render its fat.
• Add remaining rosemary and cook, stirring, 15 seconds.
• Stir in puréed soup, reserved whole beans, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently and scraping bottom with a wooden spatula to keep soup from sticking to pot (thin with some of reserved bean liquid if necessary).
• Add pasta and simmer, stirring frequently, until pasta is cooked, about 12 minutes.
• Serve soup drizzled with olive oil.
• -This soup is best the day after it's made.
• Cool it uncovered, before chilling, covered, up to 4 days.
• -You can use a blender or food processor instead of a food mill to purée the soup, but pulse briefly.
• This soup should be textured and thick.
• Makes 4 quarts, serving 8 to 10.

PASTA E FAGIOLI (PASTA & BEAN SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Saute and crumble the sausage until browned. (You could also cook the whole sausages in their casings until golden brown and cut into 1/4-inch slices.) Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook until onion is transparent, about 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices, red wine, chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, partially covered. Stir in the beans and sausage. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 11 minutes, according to package instructions.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the other ingredients. Stir well. Turn heat to low and and let mixture rest in the covered pot for 10 minutes before serving.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with grated cheese.
• Mangia Bene!

LOW-FAT LOW CAL CROCK POT PASTA FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight.
• In the morning (or do this step the night before) brown the turkey sausage and the diced onion.
• Drain and rinse and put in the crock pot.
• Add the broth, beans, carrot, herbs, salt& pepper and crushed tomatoes.
• Cook on low for 9 hours.
• Half hour before you think it is done, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta to al dente.
• Drain and rinse to cut down on the starch in your soup.
• Stir the tomato paste into the crock pot and then fold in the pasta.
• Cook for another 1/2 hour.
• Serve in nice bowls with a topping of freshly grated Parmesan and maybe a sprig of basil.
• ENJOY!