Pasta and Beans: Pasta e Fagioli
I could live on this recipe -- a quick version of my Gran'pa Emmanuel's masterwork.
Equipment
- 1 Deep Pot Large enough to hold all soup ingredients
- 1 Chef's knife For chopping vegetables and pancetta
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Ladle For serving the soup
- 1 Cheese Grater For Parmigiano or Romano cheese
Ingredients
Main
- 2 tablespoons 2 turns around the pan extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/8 pound about 3 slices pancetta, chopped
- Two 4 to 6-inch sprigs rosemary left intact
- One 4 to 6-inch sprig thyme with several sprigs on it left intact
- 1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 small carrot finely chopped
- 1 rib celery finely chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic chopped
- Coarse salt and pepper
- Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
- 1 cup canned tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups ditalini
- Grated Parmigiano or Romano for the table
- Crusty bread for mopping
Instructions
- Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, and add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.
Notes
1. Achieving crisp pancetta is key for texture; ensure it's lightly browned but not burnt before adding vegetables. The rendered fat will be the flavorful base. 2. The intact herb sprigs (rosemary and thyme) are genius for infusing flavor without having to pick out individual leaves later, making removal simple. 3. Cooking the pasta directly in the soup allows it to absorb the rich broth, intensifying flavor, but monitor closely to prevent overcooking past al dente. 4. Allow the soup to rest for a few minutes off the heat before serving; this allows the flavors to meld further and the soup to cool slightly for optimal enjoyment.