Pasta Fagioli
Ingredients
- ½ white onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 can cannellini beans blend half the can
- 2 tbs diced pancetta or bacon
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 8 oz canned chopped tomatoes I usually use half a can of chopped tomatoes or half the box of the pomi chopped tomatoes
- 2-3 tbsp tomato bouillon powder with chicken flavor
- 1 tbsp italian seasonings
- 16-24 oz water I usually use the same can of beans to measure the water so I use about 1 and ½ cans full of water
- 2 cups ditalini pasta
- pecorino cheese, to your liking
- parsley optional
Instructions
- Dice ½-1 yellow onion, depending on how large it is, set aside.
- Cut the ends off of 2 garlic cloves and smash them, set aside.
- Pour out half of the cannellini beans and set aside.
- The other half of the beans, puree.
- In a pot, add pancetta and a little olive oil and sautee.
- Once it has a little color, but not burning, add the onions and garlic. Sautee till translucent.
- Add tomato paste and tomato bouillon to the pot. Let cook for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and italian seasoning to the pot. Let cook for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the whole beans, the pureed beans, and the water. Stir till combined. This has to cook for about 15-20 minutes.
- In the meantime, set a separate pot to boil and cook your ditalini till al dente.
- Drain the ditalini directly into the soup pot. This isn't a very liquidy soup, it is more hearty and thick. Remove from the heat
- Top with pecorino romano cheese and parsey, serve immediately as it will thicken and dry up when left.
Video
Pasta Fazool?
“When the stars make you drool just like Pasta Fazool” you know the old Dean Martin Line! So, why in the world are people so hung up when someone calls Pasta Fagioli by the more fun name? My dad came to America when he was nine years old. He very much grew up the “Italian American” way. Although we speak fluent Sicilian, the Italian American influence is pretty strong. So much so that my Sicilian Nonna even called Pasta Fagioli “Pasta Fazool”.
Pasta Fagioli was not a favorite dish of mine when I was young. I was always afraid of the old saying “beans, beans, good for your heart – the more you eat, the more you …” you know it! As I got older, I became more appreciative in rustic dishes that made me feel like home and reminded me of family, and I hope it does the same for you.
Trying Something New
If you have been here for a while then you know the layout of these recipes. I share the recipes right out of the top to eliminate that thing that bloggers do where they make you “jump to the recipe” Then, you get a little quick video, and then you get me and my words. For the most part, I doubt people read this.
But, if you do, then I would like to introduce to you to my new “series” – Delusional Cooking Show. If you follow me on any of my socials, then you have probably seen these “behind the scenes” in which – my delusional self – cooks the food that you see in those little videos. Its titled delusional for many reasons:
- delusional in thinking anyone wants to see me cooking
- delusional because I make many a mistake and it is clearly documented lol.
But nonetheless, since I have been saving the videos, I thought maybe I should share them here too so in case you needed a step by step – not that these cooking videos are tutorials, but maybeeee they are helpful? I am still testing this theory out, so let me know if it works for you!
And so with all of that being said, here is my first delusional cooking episode: pasta fagioli! Enjoy!
