Pasta And Bean Soup Pasta E Fagioli Food

PASTA AND BEANS: PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, and add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.

"16 BEAN" PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• The day before you plan to make the soup, place the bean mix in a large bowl, add cold water to cover by 2 inches and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the beans, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Place the beans in a large pot with 8 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally and skim off any foam that rises to the top. The beans should be very tender and the skin will peel away when you blow on a bean.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium (10-inch) stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and onion and saute over medium to medium-high heat for 12 to 18 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for one minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, 4 cups of the chicken stock, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and turn off the heat.
• Drain the beans and add two-thirds of them to the soup. Pass the remaining beans through a food mill, discarding the skins. Stir the bean puree and the pasta into the soup, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. Add up to 2 more cups chicken stock if the soup is too thick. Stir in the Parmesan and the vinegar. Ladle the soup into large shallow bowls and add a swirl of olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan and some basil. Serve hot with extra Parmesan on the side.

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.

SEAFOOD, PASTA, AND BEAN SOUP (PASTA E FAGIOLI AI FRUTTI DI MARE

Steps:

• Place the mussels in cold water to cover for 30 minutes.
• Scrub them with a stiff brush and scrape off any barnacles or seaweed.
• Remove the beards by pulling them toward the narrow end of the shells.
• Discard any mussels with cracked shells or that do not shut tightly when tapped.
• Place the mussels in a large pot with 1/2 cup cold water.
• Cover the pot and bring to a simmer.
• Cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a bowl.
• Place the clams in the pot and cover the pan.
• Cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the clams from the pot.
• Strain the liquid in the pot through a paper coffee filter into a bowl and reserve.
• With your fingers, remove the clams and mussels from the shells and place them in a bowl.
• Pour the oil into a large pot.
• Add the pancetta, onion, and garlic.
• Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the beans, tomatoes, and calamari.
• Add the reserved juices from the shellfish.
• Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes.
• Stir in the seafood and cook until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Add the pasta and salt to taste.
• Cook until tender.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the soup.
• Add a little of the pasta liquid if the soup seems too thick.
• Stir in the parsley.
• Serve hot, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.