“Pasta e fagioli” or “pasta and beans,” is robust and filling, perfect for a cold winter day.
Ingredients
| Quantity | Unit | Name | Link | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | tablespoons | water | ||
| 1 | medium yellow onion, finely diced | |||
| 2 | medium carrots, finely diced | |||
| 2 | medium celery stalks, finely diced | |||
| 2 | cloves garlic, minced | |||
| 6 | cups | low sodium vegetable broth | ||
| 1 | teaspoon | salt | ||
| 2 | (15 oz) cans | cannellini beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained | ||
| ¼ | cup | dried lentils, rinsed (preferably French green lentils) | ||
| 1 | cup | diced or chopped canned tomatoes with their juices | ||
| 2 | bay leaves | |||
| 1 | tablespoon | minced fresh rosemary | ||
| ¾ | cup | dried whole wheat elbow pasta |
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of water in a large pot over medium-low heat. Saute onion, carrots, and celery and increase the heat to medium. Cook until onions become translucent, stirring frequently. If bottom of pot becomes brown, add 2 tablespoons of water.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the broth, salt, beans, lentils, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and rosemary. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the lentils are just tender, 15-30 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer 1 cup of bean mixture and a little liquid to a blender. Puree until smooth and set aside.
- Add the dried pasta to the pot and stir to incorporate. Turn the heat up to a gentle boil and cook until pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8-12 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
- Stir the reserved pureed bean mixture into the soup. Cook briefly until soup is heated through.
- Remove the soup from heat and season with salt. Serve immediately.
