Guest guest Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 There are few things in life better than Pasta e Fagioli. Cyndi Meatless Monday: Gio's Mama's Pasta e FagioliWhen we worked together, my friend Gio and I didn't share recipes,which is a shame, given that his parents are first generationimmigrants from Sicily. Messina, to be esatto.But to be fair, when we met about 12 years ago, Gio was fresh out ofschool, a single guy in his 20s with a really thick New Jersey-Italoaccent. I'm thinking his mama, Caterina, was probably stocking youngGio's freezer with all of his Sicilian favorites. Now he's all grownup, gone and got hitched to a nice girl and is the father of twolittle girls. Perhaps that's why he's begun sharing Caterina's recipeson Facebook?Whatever the reason, thank goodness!First on the menu is Caterina's pasta e fagioli, an Italian classic ofpasta and beans, which is neither soup nor stew, but a little bit ofboth. As you can imagine, there are more versions of "pasta fajool"(as the folks in Jersey might call it) than there are days in a year,depending on region, family recipe and how it was passed down. Someversions call for tomato, others use white cannellini beans, and cookswill debate whether it should be in brodo or more like a thick pastasauce. Everyone will agree, however, that pasta e fagioli isstick-to-your-ribs fare designed to fill up hungry working folks forlittle lire. In fact, my batch cost me about $3, as I had most of theingredients on hand, but I figure you could do this for about $6.The version below, is "exactly how Mom cooks it," reports Gio.Tomatoes do not figure in Caterina's fagioli, and she does this funlittle trick of pureeing half the carrots and celery, which thickensas well as flavors the beans. A nice twist.The idea is that you make a big ole pot of beans -- in her case, threekinds -- and then spoon out a portion, thin it with water in aseparate saucepan and then cook the pasta in the beans. This was afirst for me. You cook only as much pasta as you need and treat thebeans as a sauce. The beans themselves would feed a village, but ifit's just the two of you, consider freezing a bunch for much laterwhen the hankering strikes. Because it will.I stayed pretty true to Caterina's recipe, except for the addition ofgarlic, as I wanted to understand the dish as she intended. Mister MAsaid he would have liked some heat or fresh parsley garnish, and Ithink yeah, maybe. He's right, it was simple and uncomplicated, but Ithink that's what I loved. I also noticed that as the fagioli cooled,the flavors intensified and the broth was thick and heady.Mille grazie to Gio and Caterina! I can't wait to see what's next onthe menu. More, per favore!Nonna Caterina's Pasta e Fagioli1 tablespoons olive oil (KOD addition)¼ onion, diced4 carrots, washed, peeled and diced4 celery stalks, washed and diced2 cloves garlic (this was my addition)1 cup pinto beans1 cup green lentils1 cup green split peas (I used yellow split peas for color)About four ounces of pasta per serving (recommended spaghetti brokeninto fourths or ditalini, which are shaped like short little tubes)Salt to tasteOlive oil for seasoningOptional garnish: Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Gio's sister likes to dothis, which Caterina doesn't understand. But hey! It's family.)MethodSoak beans for at least four hours. The lentils do not need to be soaked.Drain beans. Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat and addoil. Add onion, half the carrots and half the celery. Cook overlow-medium heat until onions soften slightly and are aromatic, aboutfive minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add drained beans andlentils. With a wooden spoon, coat beans with aromatics and oil. Thencover beans with water, about three inches above bean level, Bringbeans up to a boil and allow to cook at a rolling boil for about fiveminutes. (This is a KOD trick to help beans cook more quickly.) Reduceheat to a simmer and cover pot.Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, add the remaining carrotsand celery (and garlic, if using), and puree, add a small amount ofwater to cover mixture. Season with salt and add to pot. Cook beansuntil tender, about 90 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and adjustaccordingly.Assembling Your Pasta E FagioliFor each serving, you'll need 1 cup of the beans. For a party of two,place about 2 cups of the beans in a medium saucepan and add two cupsof hot water to start. (Have more hot water on hand just in case.)Bring mixture up to a boil and add pasta. Add more hot water if youprefer the results to be on the soupier side. (Caterina's preferenceis in the middle, leaning a little on the thicker side.)Cook until pasta is al dente, but pay attention to the water level andadd more water if bean mixture is getting dry.Serve in bowls. Drizzle olive oil on top and grated cheese if you like.Once completely cooled, the beans can be frozen and then reheated andassembled with a new batch of pasta.By Kim ODonnel | January 19, 2009 A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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