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Minestra di Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Bean Soup)

Author: Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina

Ingredients

  • Olive oil to saute the vegetables *
  • 5 stalks of celery including leaves, cleaned with thick white end cut off, and then chopped *
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrots optional *
  • 1 onion chopped *
  • 1 big bunch of Italian parsley cleaned, stems cut off, and chopped *
  • 4 cloves garlic minced *
  • Optional - 4 oz. pancetta diced (but this takes away from the true 'poor' vegetarian version of this soup. My family never added pancetta)
  • 3 quarts water or vegetable broth
  • 1 6- oz. can imported Italian tomato paste add more until your desired level of 'red' color and tomato flavor is reached. If you prefer your broth less thick, then use 2 - 3 cans of canned Italian tomatoes. We like our broth to have a richer flavor and that is imparted from tomato paste.
  • 2 cans red kidney beans I prefer dark red, drained and rinsed clean ~ ~ if you use fresh beans, they must be soaked in water overnight, rinsed and drained
  • OR 2 cans cannellini beans that were unavailable to my grandparents' location in the U.S., so they substituted dark red kidney beans that give the soup a much richer flavor.
  • 1 " chunk of parmigiana cheese for a better broth flavor
  • 1 box ditalini small sheel, or mini-farfalle shaped pasta
  • Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to your preferred taste.
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese
  • Fresh crusty, artisanal Italian bread
  • * These are known as "soffrito" or the 'fried' base of a soup which can be made ahead and frozen.

Instructions

  • If using dried beans, cover them completely with water in a pot and soak overnight.
  • Drain water the next day and rinse thoroughly.
  • In a large, heavy 4 - 5 quart pot, saute the "soffrito" of onion, carrots, and celery in the olive oil.
  • Add the parsley and garlic and saute for one more minute.
  • Fill the pot with the water and/or broth.
  • Add the tomato paste/ tomatoes and bring to a boil.
  • Add the chunk of parmigiana cheese.
  • Add the beans, reduce the heat just slightly and cook until slightly tender.
  • In a separate pot, boil the pasta for only a few minutes; you will continue to cook them for a few more minutes in the finished broth.
  • Bring the broth to a boil and add the semi-cooked pasta noodles and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes max.
  • Remove the soup from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Let stand 5 minutes.
  • Serve in warmed bowls.
  • Sprinkle with grated cheese.
  • Serve with freshly, grated Parmigiano cheese and fresh, crusty Italian bread.
  • THIS SOUP IS BETTER IF allowed to rest for 2 hours before serving; it thickens up nicely.
  • It is even better the NEXT day when all of the flavors are allowed to marry and blend!
  • If you choose to do this, boil the pasta in a separate pot for only a few minutes because it will continue to cook in the broth. Have the broth warming in another pot. Put the partially cooked pasta in the re-warmed broth and continue to cook until your pasta is al dente.
  • If you have the pasta noodles in for a long time, they become very large from absorbing the soup liquid, as well as become very soft and mushy.