On our engagement-versary in Italy in 2019, we ate pasta e fagioli in a trattoria in Florence. Effing delicious! Now every year I make it for us, it’s a perfect winter warmer to enjoy the last of the cold days with comfort food. Also a great healthy lunch that doesn’t take much effort to meal prep, and will keep in the fridge throughout the week.
Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 750ml chicken stock
- 2 x 400g tins borlotti beans, strained and rinsed
- 1 sprig rosemary (5-10cm long)
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Parmesan rind (optional)
- 150g small pasta (ditalini or macaroni)
- 50g Parmesan, finely grated
- Sourdough bread, to serve
Serves 2-4
Method
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté onion, carrot, celery and garlic with the lid on, until tender (5-10 mins)
- Add tomatoes, stock, strained beans, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and Parmesan and simmer on low heat with lid slightly ajar, until beans are tender (approx 1½ hours).
- Remove Parmesan rind, thyme sprigs, bay leaf and rosemary and discard.
- Using a stick blender or a blender, blend until the soup becomes very fine.
- Cook pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water until just al dente.
- Using a slotted spoon, add pasta to soup.
- Stir through Parmesan, taste and season.
- If the soup is quite thick, use some pasta water to loosen to the right consistency.
- Serve drizzled with olive oil with some crusty sourdough bread.