Pasta Fagiole is an old-world Italian soup. Though the ingredients can differ depending on the cook, the foundation of the soup remains the same. Serve this soup as a side or a main dish, with or without meat, and thin or thick like a stew.
Instructions
1. Choose your beans. You can use white kidney beans (cannellini beans), red kidney beans or great northern beans. If the beans are dried, soak them overnight and drain the juice before starting the soup. If you use canned beans, draining the juice is optional, let your taste buds guide you.
2. Pick your pasta. You can use elbow macaroni, spaghetti broken in half, rotini, ziti or whatever kind you like best. You can cook the pasta al dente and add last. You also can add the pasta during the last 30 minutes.
3. Add your spices. You can use parsley, pepper, salt, oregano, onion, Tabasco sauce, spaghetti sauce, grated cheese, garlic, sage, rosemary, and croutons. The soup was originally a peasant soup, which means it contained the barest essentials.
4. Stock the pot. Put the beans and herbs, garlic and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 6 cups of water. Use less water if you are using the juice from canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 90 minutes. Add pasta, let sit for up to 15 minutes. Mangia!
Tags: kidney beans, Pasta Fagiole
