Comments on: Pasta e Fagioli

By: Simona

Simona — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:43:10 +0000

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.

By: Steph

Steph — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:51:27 +0000

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!

By: Ellen

Ellen — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:20:00 +0000

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!

By: HangryPants

HangryPants — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:23:18 +0000

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.

By: Elina

Elina — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:35:28 +0000

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.

By: sirenjess

sirenjess — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:18:05 +0000

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.

By: Beadie

Beadie — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:14:07 +0000

I hate it when that happens Better luck next time, pasta fajole is normally so good!

By: Jen

Jen — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:53:08 +0000

We’ve been having the Office marathons from Netflix this weekend
Cereal can never get old

By: Lara

Lara — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 11:13:40 +0000

Yay for episode marathons! Watching shows before bed always relaxes me and gets me ready for sleep

By: Sarah (lovINmytummy)

Sarah (lovINmytummy) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 06:46:00 +0000

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!