Description
Pasta e Fagioli is a traditional Italian winter soup featuring cannellini beans and small pasta. Unlike many Italian dishes, Pasta e Fagioli is not associated with a specific area of Italy; rather, its ingredients vary slightly from region to region. Though it is often made with ham, ours is just as good without. This dish is protein-packed, full of hearty veggies, and so satisfying on a chilly night.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups leeks, white and tender light green parts only, cleaned and roughly chopped (from about 2 small leeks or 1 large)
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (about 4 carrots)
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 15oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, such as San Marzano or Muir Glen
- 2 1/2 cups lacinato kale (Tuscan kale), thick stems removed and leaves chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces (if you cannot find Tuscan Kale, use regular curly kale or another dark leafy green such as spinach)
- 2 15oz. cans cannellini beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 cups vegetable broth, preferably low-sodium
- Optional: 1/4 cup parmesan cheese or parmesan cheese alternative (we like Follow Your Heart brand)
- 4–6 oz small pasta, such as macaroni, shells, or ditalini (you will use about 1/4 or 1/2 of traditional pasta boxes)
Instructions
- Place the leeks, carrots, and garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the vegetables are shredded into very small pieces (about pea sized). Alternatively, you can chop the vegetables by hand into very small pieces.
- In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once warm, add the leeks, carrots, and garlic mixture, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until veggies have softened and released some liquid, about 15 minutes. When the veggies begin to brown, bring the heat to low and continue to cook until they are extremely soft, another 5 minutes.
- To the pot, add the canned tomatoes and break them apart with a spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add in the beans, kale, 3 bay leaves, vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Optional: add in ¼ cup parmesan cheese or parmesan cheese alternative.
- Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, then cover and simmer for another 15 minutes or until ready to serve. The longer the better!
- When you are almost ready to serve, cook pasta 2 minutes short of the package directions. The pasta will finish cooking in the stew. Drain the pasta and add to the pot.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Discard bay leaves and serve in bowls topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more parmesan.
