Pasta e Fagioli
Tonight’s dinner may have been nutritious, but it wasn’t necessarily delicious. Mal and I both liked the dish, but we didn’t love it.
The Pasta e Fagioli recipe that I used (from Fitness magazine, February 2009) called for carrots, but since we were all out, I substituted asparagus. I didn’t think replacing one veggie with another would make that big of a difference, but I guess it did. I can’t exactly pinpoint what was “off” about the recipe– perhaps it was a bit too bland? I’m not really sure, but I probably won’t make it again.
I enjoyed a small glass of wine with dinner.
After dinner, I treated myself to a bowl of TJ’s Frosted Wheats, Cocoa Bumpers, and Zoe’s Honey Almond Granola mixed together with milk. (I’ve been obsessed with cereal lately, huh?)
The next Weeds disk came in the mail today (from Netflix), so Mal and I are having an episode marathon this evening.
Good night, guys!
Brandi — January 17, 2009 @ 8:36 pm
Don’t you just hate when a meal is just “off” but you can’t decide what it is?
At least it looked nice!
Red Head, Yellow Dog — January 17, 2009 @ 8:47 pm
watching tv series via netflix is awesome. James and I are on a West Wing kick right now
Enjoy your evening!
VeggieGirl — January 17, 2009 @ 9:03 pm
Delish!!
Can’t go wrong with cereal – especially when it’s….
PB PUFFINS!!!
Nicole — January 17, 2009 @ 9:45 pm
It’s too bad about the pasta, it sure does look delish!
Meg — January 17, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
Sorry it was bland! Sure looks yummy!
bobbi — January 17, 2009 @ 10:29 pm
man that was like how our dinner was tonight, we liked it but didn’t love it. I think I will have a bit of cereal for dessert too:)
allijag — January 17, 2009 @ 10:47 pm
Even though it was bland, it still looks pretty!
Sarah (lovINmytummy) — January 18, 2009 @ 1:46 am
You could have told us your dinner was fab, and we would have believed you because its so pretty! I’m loving the cereal lately too, I think I have four boxes going currently!
Enjoy your show!
Lara — January 18, 2009 @ 6:13 am
Yay for episode marathons! Watching shows before bed always relaxes me and gets me ready for sleep
Jen — January 18, 2009 @ 7:53 am
We’ve been having the Office marathons from Netflix this weekend
Cereal can never get old
Beadie — January 18, 2009 @ 8:14 am
I hate it when that happens
Better luck next time, pasta fajole is normally so good!
sirenjess — January 18, 2009 @ 8:18 am
I hate when that happens. It happen this week with a recipe from cooking light. It sounded really good but the meat portion was really bland. Your dinner looked really good though.
Elina — January 18, 2009 @ 10:35 am
I hate when you’re really excited about dinner, spend the time to make and then it’s just meh. Good thing it was at least good for you! The worst is when it’s a “splurge” and it’s still meh.
HangryPants — January 18, 2009 @ 11:23 am
What a bummer. My mom’s version is v. quick and delicious. I especially think you would like it because it tastes even better as leftovers, Leftover Queen. You just make a quick pasta sauce, with canned crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and spices, then add kidney beans, garbanzo beans and wheat rotini. I love it.
Ellen — January 18, 2009 @ 1:20 pm
too bad your pasta wasn’t so good! pasta e fagioli is one of my favorite go-to pasta dishes. hopefully you’ll give it another shot with a different recipe!
Steph — January 18, 2009 @ 1:51 pm
Tina – if you seriously want to try the BEST Pasta e Fagioli I will give you my family’s recipe. There are only 3 meals I ever remember my mom cooking homemade and all 3 happen to be magnificant 1)Macaroni and Cheese 2)Lentil Soup and 3)Pasta e Fagioli !! Remember her parents are from Italy and everyone who has tried it raves about it. Plus it is great in the winter and as leftovers!
Simona — January 23, 2009 @ 9:43 am
I am sorry but the one you cooked has nothing to do with the original Italian one, which is a soup! The true one is not for vegetarian, as you need meat broth and ham bone or chops, but it easily becomes a veggie-vegan recipe. Here it is (serves 6) :
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped onion
3 tablespoons chopped carrot
3 tablespoons chopped celery
2/3 cup canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice, or fresh tomatoes, if ripe and firm, peeled and cut up
2 pounds fresh cranberry beans, unshelled weight, or 1 cup dried cranberry or red kidney beans, soaked and cooked, or 3 cups canned cranberry or red kidney beans, drained
3 cups (or more if needed) Basic Homemade Broth
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Either maltagliati pasta, homemade with 1 egg and 2/3 cup flour, or 1/2 pound small, tubular macaroni (called ditalini)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1. Put the olive oil and chopped onion in a soup pot and turn on the heat to medium. Cook the onion stirring it, until it becomes colored a pale gold.
2. Add the carrot and celery, stir once or twice to coat them well. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning the vegetables over from time to time with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the cut-up tomatoes and their juice, adjust the heat so that the juices simmer very gently, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. If using fresh beans: shell them, rinse them in cold water, and put them in the soup pot. Stir 2 or 3 times to coat them well, then add the broth. Cover the pot, adjust the heat so that the broth bubbles at a steady, but gentle boil, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the beans are fully tender. If using cooked dried beans or the canned: extend the cooking time for the tomatoes in Step 3 to 20 minutes. Add the drained cooked or canned beans, stirring them thoroughly to coat them well. Cook for 5 minutes, them add the broth, cover the pot, and bring the broth to a gentle boil.
5. Scoop up about 1/2 cup of the beans and mash them trough a food mill back into the pot. Add salt, a few grindings of black pepper, and stir thoroughly.
6. Check the soup for density: It should be liquid enough to cook the pasta in. If necessary, add more broth or, if you are using diluted canned broth, more water. When the soup has come to a steady, moderate boil, add the pasta. If you are using homemade pasta, tatse for doneness after 1 minute. If you are using macaroni pasta, it will take several minutes longer, but stop the cooking when the pasta is tender, but still firm to the bite. Before turning off the heat, swirl in 1 tablespoon of butter and the grated cheese.
7. Pour the soup into a large serving bowl or into individual plates, and allow to settle for 10 minutes before serving. It tastes best when eaten warm, rather than piping hot.
Ahead-of-time note: You can prepare the soup amlost entirely in advance but stop at the end of Step 5. Add and cook the pasta only when you are going to make the soup ready for serving.