Pasta e Fagioli / Pasta & Bean Soup

Pasta e fagioli is one of the most satisfying soups, and actually qualifies as a meal… Done properly it is thick and substantial, with the beans providing excellent protein, the pasta the carbohydrates and the broth and vegetables the liquid flavor vehicle. I actually like the soup better a day after it is made. There are lots of variations on this incredible staple of many Italian homes. At one restaurant in Florence during our recent trip, the version that emerged from the kitchen was creamy, very thick and almost with a tinge of green rather than a tomato-ey red tinge. Add on a drizzle of the finest green olive oil and parmigiano and it was nearly porridge like but incredibly satisfying. My wife is the pasta e fagioli expert in the family. .. and though she essentially uses Marcella Hazan’s recipe, it varies a bit every time depending on whether we have ham bones, prosciutto bones, porkchops, leftover pancetta, etc. which is the basis for the stock…

First simmer chopped onions, celery and carrots in olive oil until soft. Add a ham bone or pork chops (former is much tastier) and saute for 10 minutes or so. Add some cut up canned tomatoes (use less if you don’t want it so red, more if you are a tomato fan like I am) and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Add the borlotti beans (soaked overnight if dry), stir and cook for 5 minutes and add several cups of homemade chicken broth (I cheat with canned low sodium broth fairly often) and let it bubble gently until the beans are soft. Remove ham or pork bones. Take maybe a cup of beans out of the soup and mash them up or blitz them in a blender and add them back into the soup…this step is essential if you want a creamy soup! Season with salt and pepper, but taste before you do this to ensure you get it right. Ham bones can be salty enough. Add more broth if it seems to get too thick, remember you have to add dry pasta to the soup which will suck up liquid. When the soup seems cooked, add small macaroni pasta (ideally, maltagliati if you have it) and as soon as it is cooked, turn of the flame and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving it with good olive oil and parmesan cheese on the side. With a nice crusty loaf of bread, this is ideal cold or rainy weather fare for Marketman & family! And it heats up superbly the following day as well!