Paste E Fagioli With Roasted Garlic 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

Steps:

• Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat begins to render, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot and celery and increase the heat to medium; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
• Add the wine and cook until it has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, salt, pepper, beans, lentils, diced tomatoes, bay leaves and rosemary. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are just tender, 15-30 minutes, depending on the type of lentils you used.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer 1 cup of the bean mixture and a little liquid to a blender. Remove the center knob so steam can escape. Hold a paper towel or kitchen towel over the opening to prevent splatters. Purée until smooth and set aside.
• Add the dried pasta to the pot and stir to incorporate. Turn the heat up to a gentle boil and cook until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, anywhere from 8-12 minutes depending on the type of pasta you used. The soup will thicken a bit by the time the pasta is cooked. Fish out and discard the bay leaves.
• Stir the reserved puréed bean mixture into the soup. (If you're having a hard time getting the mixture out of the blender, remove as much as you can with a rubber spatula, then add some of the hot soup broth to it and swirl around to loosen it up; it should come right out.) Cook briefly, until the soup is heated through.
• Remove the soup from heat and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano. If the soup seems too thick, gradually add 1-2 cups of water or more chicken broth and thin to desired consistency (note: the longer it sits on the stove, the thicker it will get). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle each portion with a touch of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with more cheese, if desired.
• Note: This soup is best served immediately; as it sits, the pasta and beans soak up the broth. If the soup gets too thick, you can thin it with a bit of broth or water.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the pasta, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until simmering, add the pasta, and cook until the pasta is tender. (The beans may have soaked up some of the broth while frozen, so add more broth to thin out the soup, if desired.)

PASTA E FAGIOLI (ITALIAN PASTA AND BEANS)

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and about 10 twists of black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 6 to 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, stir, and cook until the tomatoes are bubbling all over. Add the broth, water, bay leaves, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
• Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
• Use a heat-safe measuring cup to transfer about 1 1/2 cups of the soup (avoiding the bay leaves) to a blender. Add about 3/4 cup of the drained beans. Securely fasten the lid and blend until completely smooth, being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid. Pour the blended mixture back into the soup.
• Add the remaining beans, pasta, kale and parsley to the simmering soup. Continue cooking, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot, for about 20 minutes, or until the pasta and greens are pleasantly tender.
• Remove the pot from the heat, then remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup as desired, and serve.
• Leftovers taste even better the next day. Allow leftover soup to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Or, freeze leftover soup in individual portions and defrost as necessary.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• In a large heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Stir in onion and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, celery, and carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Add dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes and toss to coat. Stir in tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 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 and ground black pepper.

ROASTED-GARLIC PASTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Peel the outermost layers of skin off the heads of garlic. Cut off the top third of each head to open the cloves. Put the heads, cut sides up, in a small baking dish and pour the olive oil over them. Season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly, place in the oven and roast until about 3/4 cooked (about 45 minutes).
• Uncover and return to the oven until the cloves begin to pop out of their skins and brown (about 15 minutes). Let cool. When cool enough to handle easily, squeeze the roasted garlic into a small bowl. Press firmly against the skins to extract all the sweet roasted garlic you can. Add the oil from the baking dish, the Parmesan cheese, rosemary and a pinch of gray salt. Mix well until a paste forms. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

PASTA E FAGIOLI I

Steps:

• Heat oil in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
• Add undrained tomatoes, undrained cannellini beans, chicken broth, parsley, basil and pepper to Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Let boil for approximately 1 minute and then let simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
• Add pasta to Dutch oven and simmer approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve immediately and enjoy.

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.

PASTA E FAGIOLI WITH CRUSTY GARLIC TOAST

Steps:

• Place the tomatoes in a medium bowl and poke small holes in them with a fork or paring knife. (This will prevent them from exploding and shooting seeds everywhere when you crush them.) Crush the tomatoes with your hands, a potato masher or a fork, and break them up into small pieces. Set aside.
• Stir 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil and half of the garlic in a small bowl and let sit until ready to use.
• Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions, remaining garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the reserved tomatoes and any accumulated juices and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Cook until the vegetables are just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, kale and pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and kale are tender, about 9 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the garlic toast. Brush the top of each slice of bread with the reserved garlic oil, pushing the garlic into the crumb of the bread. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add half of the bread, oiled-side up, and cook until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. (You want this side slightly less toasted so that the garlic doesn't burn and taste bitter.) Transfer to a platter and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and bread.
• Stir the parsley into the soup and season with salt, if necessary. Divide among bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, some shaved Parmesan and cracked black pepper. Serve with the garlic toast.

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 (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.