Pasta E Fagioli Old World Style Food

AUTHENTIC PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Drain ONE can of beans, and set aside.
• In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Add onion and pancetta and saute until onions are golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and saute about 4 additional minutes.
• Transfer sauteed ingredients to a blender or food processor and add the two other cans of beans (liquid included). Puree until smooth.
• Add the pureed mixture back into the pot, along with the drained beans, the chicken and beef broth, salt, and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Once the pasta is cooked, remove from heat.
• Taste, and add more salt if necessary.
• Serve, topped with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese, if you like.

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 E FAGIOLI (OLD WORLD STYLE)

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, render pancetta till brown 5-6 minute.
• Add onion, carrot, bay leaf with a pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper, sauté till onion is translucent about 8 - 10 minutes.
• Add garlic till fragrant about 30 sec.
• Add the can of mashed cannellini beans, stir to combine.
• Add remaining whole beans, stock, tomato sauce, thyme and 1 tsp salt to pot.
• Simmer about 20 - 25 min add pasta cook till tender about 15 minute.
• Add fresh water to level to consistency you prefer cook for 5 minute.
• Adjust seasonings.
• Serve with fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and drizzle of EVOO.
• Enjoy the love!

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.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook the celery, carrots, onion and garlic until they're tender.
• Stir the broth, Italian seasoning and tomatoes in the skillet. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
• Add the pasta and beans and cook for 5 minutes.
• Place half of the broth mixture into a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour the pureed mixture into the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is hot.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Drain the beans and bring to the boil in a pan of salted water. Cook for 10 mins, drain, rinse and put in a slow cooker with the onions, carrots and celery.
• Stir in the olive oil, garlic, stock, tomatoes, half a can of water and the miso. Tie the herbs together with kitchen string and add these as well. Season. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs, until the beans are cooked through and all of the veg is really tender.
• Remove and discard the herbs and stir in the pasta. Cover and cook on high for another 30 mins. Add the cavolo nero stalks and leaves and cook for a final 30-40 mins, or until the pasta is cooked through and the greens are tender. Serve scattered with the cheese and drizzled with a little more olive oil, if you like.