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Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans Soup)
Pasta e Fagioli is one of the most comforting and satisfying dishes in Italian cuisine.This recipe follows the traditional method, using ditalini pasta, creamy borlotti beans, and a fragrant base of onion, carrot, and celery.
Ingredients
- 200 g pasta - 7 oz, ditalini or any small pasta of your choice
- 700 g beans - 1.5 pound, cooked borlotti beans (cranberry beans) – This equals about 600 g (1.3 pound) of fresh beans, 300 g (10 oz) of dried beans, or 3 cans of canned beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium celery stalk
- 150 g tomato passata - ¾ cup
- 6 sage leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 liter vegetable broth - 4 cups
- 5 tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the whole garlic cloves (peeled), a sprig of rosemary, and the sage leaves. Let them gently sauté on low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the garlic turns golden and fragrant. At this point, remove the garlic, rosemary, and sage from the pot.
- Dice the carrot and celery, finely chop the onion. Add the chopped vegetables to the pot. Stir well and let them cook on low for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent.
- Once the soffritto is ready, add the cooked beans and mix well. Let them absorb the flavors of the aromatic base for a couple of minutes before stirring in the tomato passata. Mix everything together so the beans and vegetables are well coated in the sauce.
- Next, pour in the hot vegetable broth and add the bay leaves. Stir, cover with a lid, and let it simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes. The flavors will meld together, creating a rich and hearty broth.
- When the soup is cooked, taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- To make the soup extra creamy, transfer 3 or 4 ladles of it (avoiding the bay leaves) to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Add the pasta to the simmering soup and cook until al dente, following the cooking time indicated on the package. Be sure to stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the blended soup mixture to give it a creamier texture. Taste again and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Your Pasta e Fagioli is now ready to be served! Ladle it into bowls and finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for an extra touch of flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 9gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 687mgPotassium: 424mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 2209IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg
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