The beans getting steeped in olive oil and garlic.
Growing up I wasn't a fan of pasta fazool. I'd tell my mom the texture of beans was too squishy for me. This dish was a family favorite and regardless of my personal preference, my mother made it incessantly. I avoided it for years. Then my dietician suggested I add more legumes into my diet. I was in such a quandary. How the heck do you add beans when you usually pick around them? For some reason her suggestion had me walking down memory lane. I thought of my nonna, Nonna Stella, and Nonna Rosie.
For those of you who are new, Nonna Rosie was my friend's grandmother. She lived to 99 years and had a profound effect on my life. Not because she was the sweet, encouraging old grandmother type you'd expect but because she was the opposite! Nonna Rosie told the absolute truth to the point that it hit like acid. She could be rude, was tough as nails and was nothing but herself in all situations. Nonetheless, it was her take on life that has held me up during difficult times. She lived through poverty, the Great Depression, the feminist movement, various wars from WWII to Vietnam and beyond. She had years of wise experience.
So I fished out my nonna's recipe and nonna Rosie's recipe for Pasta Fazool, I think that's how I wrote it down, and set to work recreating this delight. The trouble with taking down recipes as a nonna cooks is that sometimes you miss the details. My nonna, her friends and Nonna Rosie never measured anything. They also adapted and adjusted recipes to their budget, family tastes and what needed using in the fridge.
Speaking of nones cooking, the notion of culinary authenticity wasn't in their vocabulary. I once mentioned to a group of Nonna's friends that the "Sunday gravy" they made was more Italian-American than Italian. I got my head chewed off. They snarled, "This is Italian! I've been making it this way for years." I learned early it's best to let nonnas be the expert. Italians have their pride, no matter what continent they're on.
I digressed. Sorry. My first few attempts at this ancient recipe were good but not great. The dish lacked depth of flavor. It wasn't bad, in fact it tasted like the restaurant but lacked that home cooked "aah this is excellent" feeling. I wanted it to be the way my mom made it and the way I've had it in every household growing up. (I always ate what was served at friends' houses even though I wanted to gag at the thought of beans.)
With some practice I nailed it. The secret to a great bowl of pasta fagioli isn't in the measuring or in the ingredients, it's in the technique. So let's discuss technique so that when you make this, you love it every time, despite how much onion, garlic, broth, etc. you use.
TECHNIQUE
- To maximize flavor we're going to cook in stages.
- We sweat the onion for a while, then add garlic and basil. Let it sweat for a few minutes, add the beans and cook for 5 minutes. Then we add broth (or water), cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes. I prefer 25 minutes. 2/3 of the mixture is blended then added to the pot. Ditalini is served on the side so each person can add how much they want.
- We'll use a low-medium heat and really sweat our aromatics.
- Cook the beans for long enough so they burst open.
ADJUSTING FOR FLAVOR PROFILE
- If you want a more savory bowl, omit the carrots.
- If you want a more earthy bowl, include carrots and celery.
- For a creamy, clean flavor where you taste the onion, garlic and bean use only onion and garlic as your sofrito.
SOFRITO
- Onion, celery and carrot is traditional but not always.
- Onion and carrots is also traditional where I live. My friends and my nonna made it this way.
PASTA
I've only seen pasta fagioli made with ditalini, even in Italy. I suppose any short pasta could be used but it isn't.
TOMATO
In the United States, most pasta fagioli is very red and tastes similar to a minestrone. When I've had this at home and in the homes of other's it's more of a blonde color and while tomato is added, it's usually just a drop in comparison to the proportion of other ingredients. Feel free to add as much "red" as you like. In my house, I use leftover sauce and depending on the week that could be pizza sauce, marinara and traditional red "gravy".
BEANS
I use cannelloni beans most of the time but small white beans can be used. In fact, if you use small white beans I've found the dish is thicker. The smaller beans have a softer, creamier texture. I use canned beans but dried can used. Regardless of canned or dried, I recommend rinsing your beans in water so they're easier to digest.
STOCK OR WATER
My nonnes used water but I like the addition of chicken broth. I think you get more flavor.
VEGETARIAN
Use water or vegetable broth to make this vegetarian.
OLIVE OIL
Use a kind you like the flavor of because you'll taste it in the dish.
CARROTS AND CELERY
If using, use 1 rib of celery, chopped and a handful of baby carrots (approx. 1/2 cup) chopped into bite sized pieces.
DAIRY FREE
Use dairy-free cheese to make this dairy free.
REHEATING/MEAL PLANNING
- Store the pasta separately from the soup. This reheats very well and will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
- Freezer friendly. I freeze the pasta separate from the soup.
THE RECIPE
Makes 3 servings
Per serving: 297 cals | 1.3 sat fat | 41.8 C | 5.6 Fiber | 2.4 S | 10.4 P
(Pasta is calculated but cheese isn't)
2 tbs olive oil
1 small-medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 - 1 1/2 tbs chopped fresh basil
1, 15 oz can reduced-sodium cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1, 15 oz can reduced sodium chicken stock (or water)
1 1/2 tbs tomato sauce
Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
3/4 cup (90g) ditalini, cooked
Kosher salt
In a 4 cup saucepan, add the olive oil and onion. Lightly season with kosher salt. Do not preheat the pan. Turn heat to medium-low and once you hear a low sizzle, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a few drops of water to loosen the veg if needed. Add garlic and basil and cook uncovered for 2 minutes. Add beans, season again with Kosher salt and cook uncovered 5 minutes. Add the stock, raise the heat to medium and allow to come to a low simmer. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes. Stir it a couple of times while it cooks. In a blender, blend 2/3 of mixture until smooth.* Add back into the pot and add the tomato sauce until at the color you like. (Note: you can add 1 tbs when you add the stock and adjust at the blending stage, if needed. If this is your first time, I'd add it last so you know the ratio you like.)
Lay some ditalini in the bowl, add the soup and top with grated cheese.
If using a stick blender, I'd remove some of the mixture and blend it in another vessel. We really want a portion of this soup to be creamy.
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