Did all you East Coasters finally finish shoveling out from last weekend’s blizzard?  Hope you stayed put and warm and had a couple of lazy and relaxing days, preferably with a big pot of soup/stew simmering away to keep you warm. That’s how I enjoyed a blustery cold weekend here in Brooklyn, NY, watching one of my favorite movies, Once, for the zillionth time (but it never gets old; am a big fan of Glen Hansard) with a big pot of pasta fagioli on the stove.

Pasta fagioli…pasta and bean soup. It’s hearty and comforting, and what I’ll be eating all winter long (and I think you should too). Winter and blizzard-approved comfort food. This is the second batch I’ve made in a week.

Pasta fagioli is a humble Italian soup, often thought of as ‘peasant food’ because it comes together using inexpensive ingredients. I just think of it as delicious. You can make it vegetarian by omitting the bacon/pancetta. I used smoked bacon (Benton’s bacon) because who who doesn’t like a little bacon. With or without bacon, this is a beautiful pot of food.

I’ve added a Parmesan rind to the simmering soup (my secret, go-to ingredient when I want to add flavor to a soup stock). The starches from the beans and pasta enhance the thickness of the soup.  As well, I pureed a portion of the beans to give the pasta fagioli even more body. There’s minimal prep work and everything basically goes into a big soup pot, so it’s quick, easy, and inexpensive to pull together.

Pasta fagioli is best eaten hot off the stove. As the soup sits, the beans and pasta act like sponges and quickly absorb the liquid. You can always add more stock and reheat.

Stay warm. Eat soup!!

Traditionally, pasta fagioli is made with a type of pasta called ditalini (a small tubular-shaped pasta). I couldn’t find any, so I used these cute little gnocchetti that I found at Eataly (always love an excuse to wander around Eataly).

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Finish with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Pasta Fagioli — Pasta and Beans

serves 6
3 cups cooked white beans (from ~ 1/2 cups dried); such as cannellini (used Rancho Gordo Myocoba beans)
4 ounces smoky bacon, thickly sliced, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock and/or bean cooking liquid (used 3 cups of each)
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes
1 Parmesan rind
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
red pepper flakes to taste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound small pasta (such as ditalini or gnocchetti)
1 bunch of kale, about 2 large handfuls, stems removed and roughly chopped
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil

Soak the dried beans overnight. Rinse and drain.  Add the beans to a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer until just tender. Drain, reserving the bean cooking liquid. Set aside.

Wipe out the pot used to cook the beans. Heat the pot over medium heat. Add the cubed bacon. Cook until the fat is rendered out. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.

Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook another minute, until the tomato paste darkens in color. Add the stock and/or bean cooking liquid, tomatoes, Parmesan rind, rosemary, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Add 2/3 of the reserved beans to the soup pot. Puree 1/3 of the reserved beans with a little bit of stock (from the pot) in a blender and add to the pot. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Add the kale and cook another minute or two. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Finish with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes.