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:

1. In a saucepan add the olive oil, 1-tsp salt, pepper flakes and pancetta put the heat to low.
2. 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.
3. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute
4. 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.
5. Add the beans and sauté for 5 minutes stirring along the way and smashing some of the beans.
6. Add the chicken stock stir everything together very well and bring to a slow boil, uncovered
7. Allow this to simmer for 15 minutes stirring along the way, uncovered
8. Add the cooked Ditalini and stir, taste for salt and adjust.
9. Add the pasta water and stir
10. Allow this to simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes
11. Remove from the heat, let sit for 1 minute then stir in the 1/4 cup of grated cheese.
12. 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