Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Bean Soup)

Pasta e Fagioli is a traditional Italian peasant soup that translates to “pasta and beans.” It’s a soup that can be made with several types of pasta, usually tubettini, ditalini, or conchigliette. Prosciutto or pancetta is used for the base to give it a nice smoky flavor. I wanted to make a big batch so I used a slow cooker to cook the beans and broth. It turned out great, though I forgot to cut up the rosemary and it should really be finely chopped. Just before serving I mixed in the cooked pasta. I strained the rest of the noodles out before putting it away to prevent them from absorbing all the broth over night. The soup was great with a warm, crusty baguette and grated parmigiano reggiano.

Pasta e Fagioli
(Makes 6 quarts)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
5 oz. pancetta, cubed or diced
4 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans, washed and drained
3 cartons (96 oz.) chicken stock
1 tbsp freshly ground rosemary leaves
1 tbsp freshly ground sage leaves
1 tsp red peppers flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 8 oz. cans tomato paste
1 lemon, zest
1/2 lemon, juice
parmigiano reggiano, grated for garnish
1 cup ditalini pasta, dried
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil and saute the onion until soft. Stir in the pancetta and saute for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, take 1 1/2 cans of the drained cannelini beans and puree in a food processor or mash by hand until the beans form a paste.
Add the garlic, sage, pepper flakes, rosemary and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it melts, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato-onion mixture, chicken broth, beans, bean puree, lemon juice, and lemon zest into a slow cooker.
Cook on low for 9 hours or on high for 5 hours.
When the soup is ready, boil 1 cup pasta (good for 2 people) and divide the cooked noodles into two bowls.
Add the parmigiano reggiano on top of the noodles and ladle the soup into the bowls.

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