PASTA E FAGIOLI

A rustic peasant hearty soup which simply means pasta with beans. You may have heard the Italian Neopolitan dialect, pasta “fasul” or Pasta “fazool.”

The consistency of this dish can vary, with it sometimes being soupy while other times much thicker. Cannellini beans are slightly kidney-shaped and are from Italy with a creamy white color and when cooked have a fluffy texture and a mild nutty flavor. Beans are high in protein and carbohydrates.

Ingredients: 8-10 servings

· 1 bag of cannellini beans or Great Northern White beans. You can use the Goya canned cannellini beans, lots of sodium and already cooked to a soft texture. I prefer the dry beans and cook in the soup al dente. You can adjust the amount of ingredients to the consistency and preference of your choice.

· 6 cloves of garlic, sliced

· 2 medium size yellow onions, chopped

· 8 oz of carrots, chopped

· 8 oz of celery, chopped

· 6 baby peppers, sliced – red, orange and/or yellow

· 4 oz of finocchio (fennel)

· 6-8 oz of canned crushed tomatoes

· Handful of fresh oregano leaves, basil leaves

· 3 tbsp of olive oil

· 1 qt of chicken or vegetable broth/stock

· Salt & pepper to taste

· Tumeric

· 8 oz of baby spinach

· 1/4 lb of ditalini pasta

· Grated Locatelli or parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Soak the beans in water (8 hrs if you can)

2. I use a 9 quart Le Creuset pot for my soups.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onions for about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.

4. Add the celery, carrots, finocchio and peppers. Add the beans.

5. Add the broth/stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

6. Add salt, pepper, tumeric and fresh oregano and basil.

7. Lower heat to a simmer with lid on for about 30 minutes (till the beans are cooked like you prefer.) Much of the liquid will evaporate.

8. In a separate pot, boil water for the pasta. Cook the pasta for 4 minutes. Strain. I prefer to leave the pasta on the side and add to your individual soup bowl when serving.and If you add the pasta to the soup pot, the pasta will continue to cook and grow and may get too thick for your liking.

9. Add water or more stock/broth if you want it to be more soupy.

Add spinach at the end. Stir it in the soup.

Serve with grated cheese and red pepper flakes. Also serve with a rustic Italian bread on the side. Delizioso!