Pasta Fasul (Pasta e Fagioli, Pasta and Beans)

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 cup carrots, diced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • Two (2) cloves of garlic, sliced
  • Four (4) sprigs of fresh rosemary, diced
  • Pinch of red chili flakes
  • One (1) whole peeled canned (or fresh!) tomato, diced
  • One (1) 14oz can of beans (such as cannellini, kidney, and/or borlotti), with the liquid
  • Dried orecchiette (little ears) pasta
  • Grated parmesan cheese
  • Black pepper
  • Fresh basil leaves

Directions

  1. Make the sauce: heat a pot and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
     
  2. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the garlic to cook for 1 minute.
     
  3. Next, add the pinch of chili flakes followed by the onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary.
     
  4. Cook until soft for about ten (10) minutes.
     
  5. Add the tomato and cook on high for another minute.
     
  6. Add the beans and all of their cooking liquid from the can.
     
  7. Bring to a boil and turn all the way down to a simmer and cover.
     
  8. Cook the pasta in salty water one (1) minute less than the package instructions.
     
  9. When the pasta is just about cooked, reserve about a cup of the pasta water and strain.
     
  10. Add about a cup (or more or less!) of the pasta to the sauce and pour in enough of the pasta water to just cover the pasta in sauce (about 1/2 cup of pasta water). It should be soupy, but still a bit saucy and thick.
     
  11. Let this cook another minute to finish cooking the pasta.

Serve in bowls with parmesan cheese, black pepper, and fresh basil.

More Recipes