Pasta e Fagoli

The name of this dish is quite literal, as it translates from Italian to “pasta and beans”. It originated as a peasant dish, since it uses just a few humble ingredients relying on beans and pasta as the filler for a hearty meal.

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword beans, fagoli, pasta

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Servings

Calories 382kcal

Ingredients

1 cup dried cranberry beans
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 ounces diced pancetta
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch Tuscan kale, roughly chopped
½ pound small pasta, like ditalini shell or elbow
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Soak cranberry bean in a medium bowl covered with water overnight.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown all over but not hard, about 6 minutes.
Then add the carrot, celery and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender about an additional 6 minutes. Add the garlic continuing to sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about an additional 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, 4 cups of water and bay leaves.
Drain the beans then add to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil then lower heat to medium-low and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Add additional water as needed if the broth evaporated too quickly.
Add the kale and pasta, stirring to combine and cooking until the pasta is just al dente and the kale has wilted, about 6 minutes. The pasta will continue to cook in the hot broth.
Season to taste with salt and pepper then ladle the soup into soup bowls and top with grated Parmesan. If the pasta soaks up too much of your broth, just add additional water, a cup at a time.

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