Pasta Fagioli My Way
Super charged Pasta with Beans
Pasta e Fagioli
Is a time honored ancient Italian hearty soup meaning pasta with beans and is said to have originated during the Roman era thousands of years ago. Since then, it has morphed and changed into many variations throughout Italy and in the immigrant communities in New York and the Northeast region of the US. Even becoming somewhat of a classic “Wise Guy” phrase with its lyrical line “When the stars make you drool just like pasta fazool.” Found in the classic Dean Martin song “That’s Amore” released in 1953. Fazool is how many Italian Americans pronounce the word Fagioli. In most of the dishes the soup was simply made with elbow macaroni or other small pasta shapes cooked with white beans and tomatoes with or without meat. In my version I pack the soup with more ingredients such as smoked pork shank, Italian sausage and vegetables and substitute cheese filled tortellini for the macaroni. This makes my version much heartier and suitable for dinner when served with a tossed green salad and perhaps some crusty Italian bread with olive oil.
When I prepare it, I like to make a large batch in my Insta Pot or a Crock Pot slow cooker and then after cooking and cooling I freeze it in small batches without the tortellini to be reheated for a quick meal at which time I add the cooked tortellini and fresh grated Parmesan cheese at a later date. This meal is extremely tasty, hearty, healthy and is inexpensive to make. Here is my recipe below. Hope you enjoy it!
Pasta Fagioli My Way
By Chef Daniel Pliska CEC AAC
Yield 2 quarts
1/4 cup Onions, diced small
1/4 cup Celery, diced small
1/4 cup red bell peppers, small diced
1/4 cup Fennel, small diced
1 TBL Garlic, chopped
2 Tbl Olive oil
2 TBL AP flour
1 each Smoked ham hock, 16oz
1 cup Diced tomatoes, canned or fresh skinned and de-seeded
2 Tbl Tomato Paste
1 cup Kale or Swiss Chard, chopped (optional)
1 Tbl Fresh Basil, chiffonade
1 Tbl Organo, chopped
1 Tbl Parsley, chopped
5 cups Chicken Broth
2 links Italian sausage
1 cup White beans, re-hydrated
2 cups Tortellini, Cooked
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
To taste Salt and Black pepper
1. In a large pot or insta pot, brown the Italian Sausage in the olive oil
2. Remove the sausage and bake until internal temperature reaches 165F and cool
3. Add to the pot, the diced onions, celery, bell peppers, fennel and garlic and Sautee until translucent
4. Dust with the flour and stir in
5. Add the smoked ham hock, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and Kale or Chard (if used)
6. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer
7. Add the white beans and cook for at least 3 to 4 hours
8. Add the herbs at the end of the cooking
9. Slice the sausage and add to the pot
10. Remove the ham hock, cool, and pull the meat off the bone
11. Chop and add back to the pot
12. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed
13. Serve with Tortellini and parmesan.
