A Traditional Pasta Fagioli Recipe That Is Delicious
This is a great Pasta Fagioli Soup recipe, which is made with homemade pasta and Borlotti beans and the result is a delicious and traditional Italian dinner.
This amazing Pasta e Fagioli recipe is a classic Italian soup that is packed with flavor. The combination of tomatoes, beans, pasta, and rosemary creates a rich and savory taste that is both comforting and satisfying. It does not contain any meat, but the heartiness of the Borlotti beans will give you a surprisingly satisfying taste that doesn’t need a meat side-dish to make it a complete meal.
Kitchen Tools And Cookware
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MARCATO 150 Pasta Maker
This amazing and durable pasta maker is unmatched for making fresh pasta dough. Mine has lasted for more than 20 years and you should expect the same high quality.
Does This Traditional Pasta Fagioli Recipe Contain Meat?
No, this recipe doesn’t contain any meat, and the only animal products included in the recipe are the eggs used to make the pasta. This Pasta e Fagioli soup is made with beans, which are an excellent source of plant-based protein, fiber, and vitamins. It’s also low in fat and calories, making it a healthy choice for those watching their diet.
Wooden Pastry Board
This pastry board is the perfect size to knead, roll and shape pasta and bread dough.
What Is The Difference Between Pasta Fazool And This Pasta Fagioli Recipe?
Pasta Fazool is the mispronunciation of Pasta e Fagioli that you will sometimes hear in the US. There is no meaningful difference between the two names, apart from the fact that if you come to Italy and order Pasta Fazool, you will receive strange looks from your waiter and you will probably have to do some explaining to get the soup you want.
Is This Pasta Fagioli Recipe Low Carb?
When you consider that one of the main ingredients is Pasta, you can safely assume that this is not considered a “Low Carb” option. That said, if you want to make your own version of this recipe, you can find some low carbohydrate, higher protein pasta options, but the beauty and enjoyment of this recipe comes from making fresh homemade pasta.
What’s The Difference Between Minestrone Soup And Pasta Fagioli Soup?
If you are ordering a soup in Italy, it is important to know the difference between these two options. Minestrone translates to: vegetable soup, and it is filled with a lot of different ingredients, like carrots, onions, potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, cabbage and beans.
The soup broth of a minestrone is thinner (i.e. less viscous) and it isn’t cooked beyond the time it takes to cook the vegetables. Pasta e Fagioli, on the other hand, is considerably more basic because as the name suggests, it contains pasta and beans. The broth is very thick to the point that it is possible to eat this with a fork, especially the next day.
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Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe Preparation Thoughts
Mixing Bowls
Only recently have a realized how great mixing bowls with lids are and these stainless steel beauties are amazing!
Preparing The Beans
This original recipe called for 21 ounces (600 grams) of hydrated Borlotti beans, but I’ve been using dried beans for quite a while, and I prefer using these dried beans. The question is: how many dried beans are equal to 21 ounces of hydrated beans. I looked this up online, and there is a huge range of variability out there, so I measured out around 10 ounces of dried beans, thinking that these would be more than enough, but it turned out that these beans double in weight when they are soaked overnight.
Preparing The Pasta
I have a complete blog post about making pasta from scratch, so I would recommend reviewing that first because if you haven’t done it before, you will probably want to get comfortable with the process before trying it with this recipe.
The other thing to consider when preparing the homemade pasta for this recipe has to do with how you cook it. I recommend par-cooking the pasta in well salted water for about 2-3 minutes before adding it to the beans. The reason is, according to the original recipe, you add the raw pasta to the soup before you remove some of the cooked beans to blend them into a paste, and this would be difficult with the pasta having already been added to the soup.
Traditional Pasta Fagioli Recipe
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 35 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Servings: 4-6
Recipe Ingredients
For Pasta
2 large eggs
3.5 ounces (100 grams) of “00” soft-wheat flour
3.5 ounces (100 grams) of re-milled semolina (durum wheat) flour
For Soup
21 ounces (600 grams) of Borlotti beans (already soaked overnight)
7 ounces (200 grams) of celery, carrots and onions soffritto (or mirepoix)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of rosemary
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions
- First, drain and rinse the Borlotti beans well (which you will have already soaked for about 8 hours or overnight if you use dry beans).
- In a saucepan with three tablespoons of olive oil, brown the chopped celery, carrot and onion, add a spoonful of tomato paste, a bay leaf and continue to sauté until brown.
- Add the beans and a pinch of coarse salt and cover with 1.5 quarts (1.5 liters) of water. Let it cook for at least 45 minutes from the start of the boil. While the beans are cooking, dedicate yourself to preparing the fresh pasta.
- Pour the two flours into a bowl, add the eggs, combine with a fork and then start kneading by hand, in order to mix the ingredients well and obtain a uniform dough. Form a ball and leave to rest in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Now, turn back to the beans. Take half of them out of the pot and blend them with an immersion blender making a thick cream. Add the creamed beans back to the beans left in the pot and mix, resulting in the thick, creamy consistency.
- Now, back to the pasta. Once the dough has rested in the refrigerator, move it to a work surface that has been dusted with flour.
- Roll the pasta out into long strips with a pasta machine and continue until it reaches the minimum thickness that the machine will allow.
- Lay the pasta strips out flat and with a notched pasta wheel, cut many squares of about 1.5 inches per side, more or less, and dip the pasta squares in well salted water for about 2-3 minutes before adding them to the beans.
- Serve your pasta and beans immediately, garnishing with a few rosemary needles and freshly ground pepper.
Enjoy Pasta At Home And When Dining Out
If you enjoy making dishes like this traditional pasta fagioli recipe at home, check out some of these recommendations and recipes of the most amazing Italian pasta dishes ever made:
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