We’re easing back into routine over here. Creeping instead of leaping into the new year. And while Dad Chef and I were cooking up a storm over the holidays, being back to the hectic pace of schedules his week has kind of thwarted our momentum and, full disclosure, our meals this week have been a mix of eggs & toast, pasta with butter + leftover veggies, cereal and takeout! No shame in our lackluster kitchen game – even people who love to cook like us need a break sometimes. So instead of a totally new creation, I’m giving a recipe we shared in the Fall on IG stories (which if you don’t already follow, you should – we give lots of culinary tips & ideas to help with family meals over there that don’t always look pretty or get posted to the blog). It’s a quasi pasta, quasi soup dish – Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Bean Soup)- we gave a modern twist to a classic Italian recipe by cooking it “one-pot” style. There’s a reason this one gets cooked up in Italian cucinas on repeat – it’s simple, affordable (many ingredients you probably already have stocked in your pantry) nutritious and frankly “molto” delicious! So if you’re scrambling for a recipe this week, give the One-Pot Pasta e Fagioli Recipe a try!
Recipes for pasta e fagioli vary from region to region in Italy, depending on available ingredients – the only true ingredient musts are pasta + beans! Some add more broth than tomatoes if aiming for a more soupy dish. You can omit meat for a vegetarian option (like we did here to simplify the recipe), or add pancetta, ground meat and/or sausage for a heartier meal. No matter which way, the combo of pasta, veg & other simple ingredients will “…make you drool just like pasta fazool…that’s amore!”
One-Pot Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1.5 cans chickpeas or cannellini beans
- 1.5 cups small shaped pasta elbow, shells, ditalini or cavatappi
- 2 cups chopped kale or other leafy veg like escarole or spinach
- 4 cups low-sodium broth vegetable, chicken or beef
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- coarse salt + ground black pepper to taste
- *Optional Spicy Kick: dash of crushed red pepper flakes*
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over med-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot & saute until softened (~5 mins). Add garlic & coo 2 more mins. Drop in Bay Leaves.
- Add diced tomatoes, broth & beans. Stir in Italian seasoning. Season with salt + pepper. Let simmer on medium 15 mins.
- Stir in pasta & add leafy greens. Under cook the pasta by 2 mins from suggested pasta cooking instructions (for al dente) (*Note: Italians usually make this with dried beans, sometimes with crumbled sausage/meat & usually cook the pasta separately & add to the mixture at the end. I removed these steps to keep it a simple One-Pot meal*).
- After pasta cooks to al dente, turn the heat off & let the mixture sit for a few minutes. Remove the Bay Leaves.
- Serve with your favourite Italian break & garnish with parsley, chili pepper flakes and/or freshly grated parmesan cheese. BUON APPETITO!
We hope you enjoy this One-Pot Pasta e Fagioli recipe with your gang as much as we do. For other family recipe ideas, check out our other faves at La Cucina di Kerrs. And if you happen to try, we’d love you’d tag us or share your feedback here!
Buon Appetito!
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