Pasta e Fagioli

I recently tried this recipe from an old M*rtha St*wart magazine I grabbed from the library discard pile. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but winter food boredom was setting in and we needed something new. I have written out the recipe the way I did it and included the original instructions parenthetically where I made changes. Some modifications where practical – I used dried rosemary in a tea ball instead of a sprig of fresh rosemary because I can’t stand to pay $2 for a whole carton that I won’t use, and I went with navy beans because the fancy Italian ones are not available here. Other mods where made to taste – Mr. M was hesitant about the Swiss chard, so I limited it.

This is a surprisingly hearty soup, and the slight spiciness of the chili, rosemary and garlic adds extra warmth. May I suggest serving with a lovely rustic bread? Beware though: the amount of garlic in this soup may limit its usefulness in the “take to work leftover” category. At least if your job involves talking to people.

3 cups dried navy beans (risina beans)
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, cut into ¼ in. dice
1 celery stalk, cut into ¼ in. dice
4 garlic cloves (two minced, two crushed)
1 teaspoon chili flakes (1 small dried chili, crumbled)
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, contained in tea seeping ball (1 spring fresh rosemary)
1 dry bay leaf (fresh bay leaf)
8 or 9 cups chicken stock, made at half strength (low sodium or homemade chicken stock)
¼ cup shredded peeled carrot
¼ cup fresh parsley (flat leaf)
1 cup Swiss Chard, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise (1/2 bunch or 3 cups)
1 cup small pasta shells (2 cups)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Soak beans overnight.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add onion, celery, and crushed garlic; cook stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans, chile, rosemary and bay leaf.
3. Gradually stir in 8 cups of stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer soup until beans are tender 1.5-2.5 hours.
4. Process carrot, minced garlic, parsley and remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a food processor until vegetables are herbs are finely chopped.
5.Stir the Swiss chard and pasta into the soup. Cook until pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. If the soup seems too thick, thin with remaining cup of stock to desired consistency. Discard bay leaf and rosemary. Season soup with salt and pepper. Stir in carrot mixture, garnish as desired.

Next time: I will reduce the amount of beans to 2 cups – I want more of a soup than a stew. I will then use the full amount of noodles and a bit more chard. Yummy.