Food is like a magic Time Machine that helps you remember the best times in your life. This is how I feel about Pasta e Fagioli. This was something that my sweet Grandma used to make all the time. It’s the epitome of simple: the literal translation is “pasta and beans”. This dish is like a favorite memory all wrapped up into a comforting meal.
Pasta e Fagioli (or as my family called it “Pasta Fazou”) is one of those traditional Italian recipes that is what I call “peasant food”. It’s not fussy. It’s simple. And it’s delicious. You don’t need fancy ingredients or complicated techniques. This dish is the kind of comfort food that is like a hug in a bowl on a cold day. And honestly? That’s exactly what we all need right now.
Pasta e Fagioli
Cuisine: ItalianDifficulty: medium6
servings10
minutes30
minutesThis was a recipe from my childhood. My Grandma used to make Pasta e Fagioli all the time. To me it's the ultimate comfort food. It's warm, cozy and reminds me of my sweet Grandma.
Ingredients
Diced pancetta or proscuitto
1 small onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans cannellini beans
1.5 quarts of chicken stock
salt and Italian spice blend
1.5 cups of pasta (pastini, orzo, shells, or any other small pasta)
parmesan cheese
Directions
- If adding pancetta or prosciutto, saute until brown. Once brown, remove from the Dutch oven. Remove all but a thin layer of the pancetta fat from the pan.
- Dice onion and add to Dutch oven (add 1 tbsp olive oil if necessary).
- Dice carrots and add to the pan.
- Once the veggies are soft, add chicken broth, beans, and a can of tomato sauce.
- Season well with salt and Italian spice blend.
- Let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat, add the pasta, and let boil until the pasta is done.
- Turn off the heat once the pasta is done cooking.
- Top with parmesan cheese.
