Pasta e Fagioli
Literally translated "pasta with beans," white beans make this pasta e fagioli a hearty and filling dish. It's a great recipe for a comforting lunch or dinner.Yield: 3 quarts of soup
Servings: 5 - 6 people
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 6 c broth, chicken or vegetable (we prefer low sodium)
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes (or petite diced)
- 3 cups cooked white beans (or canned and drained) (½ lb dry beans, cooked)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- ½ lb dry pasta (elbows or ditali are traditional)
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (to top)
Instructions
- In a 4 quart soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Saute 2-3 minutes, until the onions start to soften. Add the carrots and celery and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, cooked beans, bay, thyme, and rosemary. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add the dry pasta and simmer until the pasta is just al dente (roughly 8 minutes). (The pasta will continue to cook and soften as it sets in the hot soup.)
- Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- (Optional: Mix in the tomato paste if you’d like your soup to have a stronger tomato flavor.) Remove bay leaves and serve the soup topped with Parmesan cheese.