It's not my brother Stephen's birthday, but it should very well be because I dedicate this Pasta e Fagioli soup to him- his absolute favorite! As a little boy our mom would take him to Carpaccio in Bal Harbour and he would always order this soup and slurp it all up at two years old! Whenever I think of Pasta e Fagioli I think of my little Shubbie and his refined appetite/ palate at two years old.
Who doesn't love a warm comforting bowl of this hearty white bean pasta soup? Get comfy, put on a good movie, and enjoy some Pasta e Fagioli or just pull up a seat at your table and just enjoy it there. It's surely YUM.com!
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Stir in onion and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and carrots, cook for 3 minutes. Add bay leaf and minced rosemary, toss to coat. Pour in half the can of tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juices and set aside the other half. Add in stock and water,bring to a boil.
In a blender, add half the tomatoes and one can of beans and puree together until smooth.
Add puree into the soup and mix together. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in one can of beans and pasta and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender (skim the soup, if needed).
Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with grated Parmesan.
Pasta e Fagioli
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, divided
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand and divided in half
1 32-ounce box chicken broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 sprig rosemary, minced
1 cup ditalini or elbow pasta
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Directions:
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Stir in onion and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and carrots, cook for 3 minutes. Add bay leaf and minced rosemary, toss to coat. Pour in half the can of tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juices and set aside the other half. Add in stock and water,bring to a boil.
In a blender, add half the tomatoes and one can of beans and puree together until smooth. Add puree into the soup and mix together. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in one can of beans and pasta and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with grated Parmesan.