Three Bean 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.

PASTA E FAGIOLI WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start softening, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and rosemary and cook until the tomato paste darkens in color, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in 6 cups water, the chickpeas with their liquid, the parmesan rind, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove 1 cup of the soup (chickpeas, vegetables and broth) and puree in a blender, then return to the pot. (Alternatively, partially puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)
• Stir the pasta and escarole into the soup. Cook until the pasta is tender and the escarole is wilted, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated parmesan. Top each serving with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and more parmesan.

THREE-BEAN PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium to med-high heat.
• Add in the celery, onions, carrot, garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and saute for 7-8 minutes to soften the vegetables.
• Stir in the tomato paste, cannellini beans, and chickpeas for 1 minute.
• Add the stock and 3 cups water, cover and bring to a boil.
• Add in the pasta and simmer in the soup for 5 minutes, then add the green beans and simmer together for 3-4 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the beans are cooked through.
• Turn off the heat and add the juice and zest of the lemon and parsley; adjust the salt and pepper.
• Discard the bay leaf.
• Serve in shallow bowls and sprinkle cheese on top.

PASTA E FAGIOLI (BEANS AND PASTA SOUP)

Steps:

• 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, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, beans, beef stock, thyme, bay leaf and pepper to taste. Add the Parmesan rind. 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. Garnish with basil and cheese.;

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• The night before serving, sort through the beans and discard any small, cracked or shriveled ones. Place the beans in a pot or jar large enough to cover them with water by at least 3 inches. Leave the beans in a cool place or in the refrigerator overnight to rehydrate.
• The next day, strain the beans through a colander (discard the water). Add the beans to a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by at least 2 inches, about from the tip of your finger to your knuckle. Turn the heat to medium-high, bring the liquid to a boil, then return to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that rises to the top, until the beans are tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Add additional water when necessary to keep the beans submerged. When the beans are done, turn off the heat, add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and stir to incorporate; set aside.
• Put the salt pork in a medium pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 12 minutes. Remove the salt pork and discard. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the tomato paste to the pot, and cook until it darkens, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of the cooking water from the beans, and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the beans, add them to the pot and cook just long enough to heat them through, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil, and cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Add as many pasta shapes as you wish, as long as their cooking times are within 2 minutes of one another (according to the package directions). Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water. Add the pasta back to the pot, add the beans with their liquid and the reserved pasta water and stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons of pepper. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, and grate the Pecorino Romano over the top if using.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet. Puree 1 cup of the bean mixture in a blender until smooth*. Before putting the puree back into the soup, add the macaroni and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Return the puree to the remaining soup in the saucepan and stir well. Season the soup with ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

PASTA AND BEANS (PASTA E FAGIOLI)

Steps:

• In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the oil, garlic, and hot pepper flakes over medium-low heat. As soon as the garlic begins to color, add the tomatoes and salt. With a wooden spoon, break up the larger pieces of tomato. Increase the heat slightly and sizzle for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked beans and enough bean water to cover. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta and simmer gently over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add reserved pasta water if necessary.

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.