Recipe. You Won't Want to Miss This!

Pasta Fagioli (Pasta Fazool)

There are purists who will say that real Pasta Fagioli should never have tomatoes or other vegetables in it, but I guess I’m a rebel because this recipe is incredible and what could be bad about extra veggies, right? I love this recipe because it’s not only hearty and delicious, but it also comes together quickly for a weeknight meal. The mashed beans add a wonderful thickness and richness to this soup, so don’t skip that part! This recipe is adapted from a recipe shared by my cousin, who has her own food blog called Dishing with Diane.

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, sliced

2-3 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped (or real bacon bits or chopped pancetta)

Olive oil

2 boxes of unsalted chicken broth (32 oz.)

1 can of diced tomatoes (15 oz.)

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and mashed

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and whole

Dried oregano (approximately 1 tsp. or to taste)

Salt and pepper

Parmesan rind, if you save them

(Note: always save your parmesan or other cheese rinds to flavor sauces and soups!)

1 box Ditalini pasta

Grated Locatelli Pecorino Romano Cheese for topping (or other grated cheese)

In a large dutch oven, sauté the garlic, onion, celery, and bacon (or pancetta) in olive oil until the veggies have softened.

Add the 2 containers of chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for a few minutes before adding the 2 cans of mashed beans, oregano, salt and pepper, to taste.

Simmer for about a half hour then add 2 more cans of whole cannellini beans and some more bacon and pancetta to add some layered depth of flavor, if desired; continue to simmer.

While soup is simmering, cook the pasta according to directions. Spoon cooked pasta into bowls and spoon soup over it. Add grated cheese on top.

Serve soup with some toasted crusty garlic bread or individual pizzas on artisan bread.

Individual Pizzas

My husband and I had some leftover sauce from our calzones and chicken rolls from the local pizza place so we decided to make individual pizzas to go with our hearty Pasta Fagioli. Any leftover homemade or prepared tomato sauce will work well.

Take thinly sliced crusty bread (we had some artisan asiago bread leftover from the weekend that we wanted to use), cover the slices with a little butter, sauce, granulated garlic or garlic powder, shredded mozzarella cheese, and a little sprinkle of oregano.

Bake on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until bubbly. Place under the broiler for a minute or two to brown the top.

Individual Pizzas made with Asiago Bread.