Tomato Tomatoe

bianco pasta e fagioli

Pasta e Fagioli translates to “pasta and beans”, and it is the ultimate Italian comfort food. The origins of this beloved dish can be traced back to peasant cuisine, where simple and affordable ingredients were used. Beans were a staple in rural Italy because they were inexpensive, nutritious and could be stored for long periods.

There are many variations of this dish, and different regions of Italy have their own version. In Central and Southern Italy, regions like Abruzzo (where my family is from) and Tuscany, pasta e fagioli was commonly made with cannellini or borlotti beans and flavored with rosemary and garlic. In Northen Italy, the dish often includes pork, like pancetta or guanciale. Lastly in the South, pasta e fagioli will often include tomatoes which is the version that is most common. I prefer a mix of the Northen and Central version which is more of a white pasta e fagioli or bianco in Italian. Personally, I think this version is much better because it’s simple and doesn’t have much acidity since there aren’t any tomatoes. Pasta e fagioli is a thick Italian soup with small noodles, broth and vegetables. It comes together in about 30 minutes and uses pantry and fridge staples. This is a classic dish that’s loved by many and for good reason! It uses affordable, accessible ingredients and it’s the ultimate comfort food to make on a cold winter day.

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bianco pasta e fagioli

Ingredients

• 1 small white onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery rib
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup pancetta, sliced
• Splash of white wine or water
• 1 tsp thyme or rosemary
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 can cannellini beans (reserve ½ cup and puree it)
• 3/4 cup small pasta Acini di pepe or 1 cup tubetti
• small parmigiano Reggiano rind (optional)
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano + more for serving
• Extra virgin olive oil for serving

Directions

1. Chop the onion, carrot and celery into small pieces. Mince the garlic and slice the pancetta into small ½ inch pieces.
2. In a large cold pot, add the pancetta and turn on the heat to medium-low. Render the fat until crisp. This should take a few minutes. Add a drizzle of olive oil and add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add a splash of white wine or water to deglaze the pan. Add garlic, thyme and tomato paste. Cook for a few minutes until the tomato paste caramelizes.
3. Drain and rinse the canned beans and remove ½ a cup of beans and purée in a food processor until smooth. Add the whole beans, bean purée and parmigiano Reggiano rind to the pot. Add chicken stock and water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then turn heat to low. Cook on low for 20 minutes with the lid off.
4. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Add the pasta and cook for two minutes less than the what the package says. Once the pasta is 90% cooked, turn off the heat, stir in ½ cup of Parmigiano Reggiano and cover with a lid. Let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the Parmigiano Reggiano rind and serve. Add freshly grate parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.