Pasta e Fagioli
This is my “old school-fazool” recipe. I think every Italian family has their own recipe for this dish and here is mine.
You’ll need:
- 1-qt chicken stock
- 1/2 can tomato paste
- 8-garlic cloves smashed and minced
- 2-10 oz. cans prepared cannellini beans rinsed
- salt
- 1/2-tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup finely minced pancetta
- 2-tbs olive oil
- 1/2 lb Ditalini pasta cooked 2 min short of recommended time
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese, and extra to top
Directions:
- In a saucepan add the olive oil, 1-tsp salt, pepper flakes and pancetta put the heat to low.
- Once this starts to sizzle, sauté it for 5 minutes or until the far has rendered from the pancetta. As its sautéing smash the garlic up as much as possible with a wooden spoon.
- Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute
- Add the tomato paste and stir everything together and allow his to sauté on a very low heat for 2 minutes. Stirring the whole time, smashing everything together.
- Add the beans and sauté for 5 minutes stirring along the way and smashing some of the beans.
- Add the chicken stock stir everything together very well and bring to a slow boil, uncovered
- Allow this to simmer for 15 minutes stirring along the way, uncovered
- Add the cooked Ditalini and stir, taste for salt and adjust.
- Add the pasta water and stir
- Allow this to simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes
- Remove from the heat, let sit for 1 minute then stir in the 1/4 cup of grated cheese.
- Serve with more grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil
In my home this recipe is not a soup but a thick pasta and bean dish. The flavors are amazing.
“There is Italian Food and there is REAL Italian Food, big difference”
Daniel Mancini

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