PASTA e FAGIOLE

Pasta Fagioli…Pasta Fazool…or Pasta e Fagiole…however you choose to call it…it means Pasta and Beans soup. And it is one of the great meal soups. It’s got everything…vegetables, meat (Italian sausage or ground beef), pasta, and beans.

As always, you will find dozens of recipes from dozens of Italian chefs. No argument here…this is just my take on it. And, it is pretty much an accurate representation of Olive Garden Pasta Fagiole…I was a Kitchen Manager with The Olive Garden for 3 years.

I chose to use cannelini and red kidney beans, but you can use any favorite bean, tender bean. I the pasta is ditalini, but any small pasta, like elbow macaroni, will work.

One chef’s note: I would suggest you cook the pasta (Ditalini in this case) separately then add it at service. No matter how much stock or liquid you have in your soup, the pasta will almost always absorb most of it and it become Pasta Fagiole Stew instead of soup. When I freeze Pasta Fagiole, I cool the soup first, then add cooled pasta before freezing. Believe me, it is a method that works great, preserving the integrity of this iconic Italian soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2-3/4 pound Italian sausage, removed from the casings

• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped

• 2 medium carrots, chopped

• 1 large rib of celery, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• 2 (15 oz) cans of cannelini, red kidney, or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock

• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

• 1 1/2 cups ditalini

• Grated parmesan

• Chopped parsley

Directions:

• Add olive olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.

• Place chopped onions, carrots, and celery in a food processor and process until finely minced. Add to the saucepan and saute for 7 minutes, stirring, until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the minced chopped rosemary, and garlic and stir for 30 seconds.

• Add the diced tomatoes and the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Add the drained and rinsed beans and let simmer for another 15 minutes.

• Cook the ditalini according to package directions (about 8 minutes). Drain and cool.

• Reheat the ditalini in some hot water, a microwave will do. Then ladle soup into bowls, some pasta and garnish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.