Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli
Hearty, rustic, Italian cuisine.
Ahhh pasta e fagioli, aka pasta with beans. This warm, hearty, Italian soup is one of those recipes that took a little bit of time over the stove, but how can you mind with a glass of Italian wine and those aromatics. It was a delight to cook and even more to eat.
Notes:
First, the classic recipe calls for meat. In this version, I hardly missed it. But a key ingredient for the savory flavor is the parmesan rind. Don’t skip that! The rind is the hard, outer layer of the cheese. It is not edible, but it is packed with flavor. Buy a wedge of parmesan cheese and cut off the outer piece for the soup. Use the rest for grating on this soup and your favorite recipes. Store in an airtight container and it will last ages.
Second, soffrito is the Italian term for carrots, onion, and celery. For a zero-chopping recipe, I bought the pre-cut version. You want to cook these on a lower heat to get them softened but not colored. These vegetables are the backbone of flavor in this recipe.
Third, I ran into my old foe, pasta-based soups. I don’t know why I thought I could win this time. Alas, as I’ve written before, the pasta soaks up all the liquid when you have leftovers. If you’re planning to eat in one sitting, throw that pasta in the pot. If not, cook the pasta separately, and then add to individual bowls. Once the soup is fully cooled, you can store the pasta together in the soup to let it soak up flavors. Alternatively, keep extra broth or an extra can of tomatoes juices on hand to add when you reheat (that’s what I did).
Ingredients:
Small yellow onion
1 medium carrot
1 celery stalk
2 cloves garlic minced
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 quart vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
Crushed red pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 (14 oz) cans cannellini or great northern beans
1 wedge parmesan cheese
1 cup dried ditalini or other small pasta
Directions
Prepare: Chop carrots, onion, and celery, or use a pre-chopped version. Mince garlic. Drain and rinse beans.
Saute: In a large pot, heal olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the carrots, onion, and celery, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, but not colored, about 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 more minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
Cook broth: Add broth, parmesan rind, bay leaves, and rosemary sprigs. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust heat to bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
Blend beans: Use a heat-safe measuring cup to transfer about 1.5 cups of the soup (avoiding the bay leaves and herbs) to a blender. Add a heaping half-cup of the drained beans. Securely fasten the lid and blend until completely smooth, being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid. Or using same proportions, transfer to a heat-safe cup to use an immersion blender. Pour the blended mixture back into the soup.
Finish cooking and serve: Add the remaining beans and pasta to the soup (or cook the pasta separately according to the instructions). Continue cooking for about 20 minutes. Serve and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a glass of Italian red wine ;)
