Pasta e Fagioli Soup

With the weather having a nip in the air it is soup time at my house.   I love the rich hearty flavor of soups.  Soups are versatile and are great for a starter or a main meal.  I just add some bread to get every last bite.

This recipe for Pasta e Fagioli soup I found in Cook's Country magazine.  It was easy to make and was delicious.  To get a nice rich texture for this soup, a can of cannelloni beans was pureed.  The grated Parmesan cheese which was added along with the fresh basil also kicked this recipe up a few notches.  This is by far my favorite Pasta e Fagioli Soup recipe.


Pasta e Fagioli Soup
From Cook's Country

Ingredients:

2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, rinsed
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 onions, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine

1 celery stalk, chopped
2 ounces pancetta, chopped fine
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 cups chicken broth
4 ounces (1 cup) ditalini pasta
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving
1/2 cups finely chopped fresh basil


Directions:
1. Process 1 can of beans and water in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.  Add onions, carrots, celery, pancetta, salt, and pepper and cook until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes, if using, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.   Stir in broth, remaining can of beans, and pureed bean mixture.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded, about 10 minutes.
4. Increase heat to medium and bring to boil.  Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta  is al dente, about 12 minutes.  Off heat, stir in Parmesan and basil.  Serve, drizzled with extra oil and passing extra Parmesan separately.

Serves 4 to 6

Quick Southern Style Baked Beans

Baked Beans are one of my favorite sides.  I love them with grilled burgers, brisket, chicken, barbecue - just to name a few.  They make the meal in my view.  I love this recipe for Baked Beans. They are so easy to make and I have never tasted such delicious Baked beans.
Start with cooking some bacon and then remove and drain on paper towels.  Cook some diced onions and green peppers (I used a red pepper) in the bacon drippings.  Add some Pork and Beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and some mustard.  Stir and bring to a simmer.  Add the bacon strips and bake for about 2 hours.

Best Baked Beans ever.



Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans
recipe by Pam Anderson From The Pioneer Woman

Serves up to 18

8 slices bacon, halved

1 medium onion, cut into small dice

1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice

3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar

2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon


Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

Pasta e Ceci

I found this marvelous soup recipe in the recent t issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine.  Pasta with beans, veggies, and some herbs and spices.  Sprinkle the soup with some grated Parmesan cheese and drizzle with some olive oil and you have one hearty and delicious meal or a nice starter for your dinner.


This soup is very easy to make and very versatile according to the recipe.  With this in mind, I used the beans I had in my pantry - one can of garbanzo and one can of red kidney beans.  I also substituted a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies for the whole tomatoes.  Everything else was kept the same.

The result was a very tasty and satisfying bowl of rich and hearty soup that tastes great with every bite.



Pasta e Ceci
From Cook's Illustrated Magazine

Ingredients:
2 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 onion, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 anchovy fillet, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
2 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (do not drain)
2 cups water
Salt and pepper
8 ounces (1 1/2 cups) ditalini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

Directions:
1. Process pancetta in food processor until ground to paste, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Add carrot, celery, and garlic and pulse until finely chopped, 8 to 10 pulses.  Add onion and pulse until onion is cut into 1/8 - to - 1/4-inch pieces, 8 to 10 pulses.

Pulsing pancetta and veggies

Transfer pancetta mixture to large Dutch oven.  Pulse tomatoes in now-empty food processor until coarsely chopped, 8 to 10 pulses.  Set aside.
2. Add oil to pancetta mixture in Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fond begins to form on bottom of pot, about 5 minutes.  Add anchovy, pepper flakes, and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas and their liquid, water, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add caption

 Add pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve, passing Parmesan and oil separately.

Serves 4 to 6