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This peasant soup is based on inexpensive, hearty, substantial beans in broth thickened with pasta and is found throughout Italy. The texture of this soup ranges from thin and smooth if puréed to thick and hearty, almost stewlike, depending on region and taste. In this recipe, we use pancetta (pork belly that has been salt and air-cured like prosciutto) for its potent savory flavor and rich fat, but you may substitute more olive oil. Pasta e Fagioli is often made with tender- skinned cannellini (white kidney) beans or meaty borlotti (or Romano) beans. Better yet is to use fresh shelled beans such as cranberry beans (found in season at farmers’ markets and Asian groceries), which don’t need any soaking. You will need to start the soup one day ahead to soak the beans. This soup freezes well without the pasta. Add the pasta after reheating the soup.
How To Make Pasta e Fagioli
Makes about 1 gallon (4 L), serves 8 to 12 Ingredients
• ½ pound (225 g) pancetta, chilled until firm
• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) for serving
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• ½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon (10 g) chopped garlic
• 2 cups (360 g) chopped plum tomatoes (canned or fresh)
• 6 cups (600 g) cooked cannellini beans (see “Cooking Dried Beans,” below)
• 2 quarts (2 L) Chicken or Vegetable Stock (page 9 or 14)
• ½ pound (225 g) ditalini or small dried pasta shells
• 2 cups (40 g) whole baby arugula or large arugula leaves shredded (if field-grown, wash the arugula thoroughly)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces (55 g) each grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Romano cheeses
Baby arugula is prewashed and easy to use in this soup but larger field-grown arugula works as well. Just be sure to wash it thoroughly, changing the water if necessary. Slice larger leaves of arugula crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) sections before adding to the soup.
1. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice all around the outside as a cutting guide. Following the guide, slice off a piece of pancetta about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick, which will weigh about 1/2 pound (225 g).
2. Cut the pancetta into small cubes by first slicing into 1/4-inch (6 mm) slices. Then cut the slices into thick sticks.
3. Turn the sticks around so the ends are facing the knife. Cut the sticks into cubes.
4. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, lightly brown the pancetta in the olive oil over moderate heat.
5. Add the red onion, fennel, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.
7. Add the cooked beans, any bean cooking liquid, and the Chicken Stock and bring back to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the beans are quite tender.
9. Remove about one-fourth of the bean mixture from the pot and blend to a creamy purée. Return to the pot. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until firm to the bite (about 8 minutes). Drain, reserving 1 cup (235 ml) of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta and reserved pasta cooking water (which helps bind the soup due to the starch it contains) to the soup and stir to combine.
10. Just before serving, stir in the arugula, the salt and pepper to taste, and then let the mixture rest for 5 minutes.
11. Ladle into soup bowls or a tureen
and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
12. Drizzle each portion with extra
virgin olive oil.
13. Serve the soup.
Soupmaker’s Tips
If you’re planning to serve the soup more than once, add only enough of the cooked pasta for each portion. As the pasta sits in the broth it will continue to absorb liquid and will become soft and mushy. To avoid this, run cold water onto the cooked pasta, drain well, and then toss with a little olive oil. Reserve chilled until you’re ready to serve the soup.
Bacon is easiest to work with if it is semifrozen. You may cut presliced bacon into thin strips and then cut the strips into small squares. Alternatively, you can cut the bacon into chunks and then process them to small bits, but this will work only if the bacon is firm and semifrozen. The same technique works for pancetta.
Save for stock:
Fennel stalks and outer leaves, celery trimmings, garlic skins and trimmings, tomato trimmings if using fresh tomatoes (don’t use red onion trimmings, which will darken stock)
Technique
Cooking dried Beans
When cooking dried beans, it’s important to cook them as slowly as possible so they keep their shape. Soaking the beans overnight and discarding the soaking water allows them to cook more evenly because they’ve already been hydrated. In addition, soaking and discarding the water also helps with digestion. You may take one further step (especially if you suspect the beans are old): After soaking and draining the beans, cover them with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, then drain, discarding the water, and then continue with the first step.
Makes about 6 cups (600 g) cooked beans
• 1 pound (455 g) dried beans
• 1 whole onion, peeled and stuck with 4 whole cloves (see below)
• ½ head garlic, excess outer skin rubbed off , ½ inch (1 cm) sliced off the top to expose the cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 whole dried red chile pepper (optional), substitute 1 teaspoon (1.2 g) hot red pepper flakes
Place the beans in a bowl, cover with 1 quart (1 L) cold water and soak overnight or until plump and fully hydrated. Drain and rinse the beans. 1. Transfer beans to a medium-sized pot. Add 11/2 quarts (1.5 L) cold water, bring to a boil, skimming off and discarding the white foam protein impurities that rise to the top. Simmer 2 hours or until the beans are almost completely tender, shaking the pot occasionally so the beans don’t stick to the bottom.
2. Add the whole onion, garlic, bay leaves, and (optional) hot pepper and bring back to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat, remove and discard the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and chile pepper, and reserve. Cool without stirring, to avoid breaking up the beans, and then drain. Once cooled, you may freeze cooked beans to add later to soups such as Acquacotta Maremmana.
Studding an onion with Cloves
The clove is a dried, unopened flower bud, and it has a potent, sweetly fiery taste that is delicious in small quantities but unpleasantly medicinal in larger amounts. here we stick whole cloves into a peeled onion, which will simmer in broth, imparting a delicate clove flavor.
1. Using a pointed bamboo or metal skewer, stick one hole for each clove into a whole, peeled onion.
2. Insert one whole clove into each hole, pushing the clove in firmly to secure.
This recipe is posted with permission from “The Soupmaker’s Kitchen” cookbook.
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