Pasta e Fagioli
*serves 3-4

Few things remind me of childhood, my grandmother’s cooking and when my father used to cook, then a big, piping hot pot of fagioli. Growing up, beans were a staple in our home and they still are. Beans are a hearty, inexpensive, healthy and warming food — a food we ate 1 to 2 times a week no matter the season. I was that kid who looked forward to opening a lunch thermos full of beans and pasta, a bit odd, sure, maybe, but my love of cooking and eating, was born from watching the people I love cook their hearts out in the kitchen.

Grandma, dad and mom all prepared their fagiolli the same, macerating to a fine chop the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. And, yes, even the tomatoes. The base of the beans was smooth but chunky and full of texture. Last night, on a cool April evening, I prepared this dish for my aunt and uncle. I shared the way I grew up eating this classic dish and they were surprised by the fine chopping of the vegetables in our family version.

One of the best parts of cooking is the way 1 single meal can be made or reimagined based on what we see and learn in the kitchen. Growing from cooking is always at our fingertips because there’s always something new to discover. So, maybe you’ll make this as I’ve written the recipe, or maybe you’ll put your own spin on it. Perhaps your veggies will be larger and you’ll add your favorite green. No matter what, make your time in the kitchen count. Cook with love in your heart. Cook for people that you love. Cook for yourself with love.

Now, let’s get cooking!

What I love about preparing pasta e fagioli is that it is made from a cooks pantry and refrigerator staples. Having staples in the house was something I would talk about ad nauseum to my clients when I was a cooking coach. It’s something I still whole heartedly believe in so that a meal can be whipped up on the fly, no excuses. And, since we seem to be well on our way to a cold New York spring, I can’t think of anything more warming to eat right now. Soulful, filling, inexpensive and simple. We love a simple weeknight meal!

It’s amazing what onions, garlic, carrots and celery can do, really. True magic if you believe in it and allow it to be so. With a dash of love, and not even too much patience needed, cooking these 4 ingredients together (pssstttt, I used the food processor to chop all of them and create a thick, chunky base for the fagioli - just like my nonna, dad and mom used to) creates a symphony of flavor. Go ahead and add pureed diced tomatoes, chicken stock, freshly chopped parsley and a few healthy hunks of pecorino romano cheese. No rinds? No worries! Hunks of Locatelli will work just fine to add a salty and sharp brine to this dish!

Once the bean base has been cooking for 40-45 minutes, I always go ahead and add more chicken stock and one more heap of fresh parsley to the pot. By this point the vegetables have cooked down and some liquid has evaporated so I like to replace the liquid so the base of the beans stays juicy, especially once the beans and pasta have been added and, even then, you might choose to add more.

Now, you might be wondering why I wait until the end (while the pasta water is boiling)? Well, it’s because I’m using canned beans and if they are added too soon in the cooking process, they will break down and lose their shape, essentially becoming mush. But adding the rinsed canned beans while the pasta water is boiling and as the pasta is cooking is just enough time for the beans to warm through and take on the flavor of the ingredients in the bean base.

My pasta of choice for fagioli is Ditalini. It’s the perfect size and it doesn’t compete with the size of the beans, being slightly smaller and a different shape. Ditalini is a lovely pairing with fagioli.

The pasta takes somewhere between 9-11 minutes to cook aldente and I prefer to cook the pasta separately and not in the fagioli because of possible mushiness and the releasing of too much starch into the dish.

I always reserve a cup or two of the pasta water before draining so I can make the dish more soupy (if I want) before serving. Some folks like a tighter pasta fagioli, some a soupier one, I like it somewhere in between — with enough juice and liquid for extra cheese and bread to sop up.

Pasta e Fagioli
*serves 3-4 people

Cooks note: for all of the chopping in this recipe I use a large food processor fit with a steel blade. You may have this piece of equipment and can do the same, or you can chop by hand. The food processor allows for ease and speed when it comes to making this recipe quickly on a weeknight. No matter your chopping adventure, enjoy the process. Aside from creating and eating, the process is my favorite part. Get grounded in the kitchen.

Ingredients
1 x 14 oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed *you can use navy beans, great northern or another white bean of choice; some folks even use kidney beans - choose your own adventure
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 x 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped in to 6-8 pieces
2 ribs of celery, cut into chunks
5 cloves of garlic, left whole
2-3 cups of chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 large pieces/chunks of Locatelli cheese *parmigianno rinds will also work beautifully

Instructions
—Prepare all vegetables: onions, carrots, celery and garlic by chopping; including tomatoes
**as noted, I use the food processor wherein I chop each vegetable separately, tomatoes included, until they are pureed
—Place a medium sized stock pot over a medium flame and add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
—Add chopped onions and sautee for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes
—Add chopped carrots and celery as well as the salt and red pepper flakes, cook for another 10 minutes
—Add tomato puree, cook for another 10 minutes
—Add 2 cups of chicken stock, fresh parsley and Locatelli chunks or parmigianno rinds
—Lower flame to medium low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes
**just because your pot is covered and the bean base is simmering, does not mean you walk away, check on your food, stir it, love it, make sure there’s enough liquid and nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot
—Add more stock and fresh parsley at this point
—Bring pasta water to a boil - SALT THE WATER
—Add beans to the tomato base
—Cook pasta until al dente, following box instructions, typically 9-11 minutes
—Reserve some pasta water and drain
—Add pasta to the beans and mix together well, adjust flavor/salt/spice and add more stock if you choose - I usually do not because I don’t like my pasta e fagioli too soupy
—Serve hot and garnish with more parsley and a douse of additional olive oil - for me, that’s a must
—Top with grated cheese and extra red pepper flakes, like my grandma used to
—Pair with a salad, a hunk of fresh bread, mozzarella or provolone