Zuppa Di Fagioli Con La Pasta Italian Bean Soup With Pasta Recipes

ZUPPA DI FAGIOLI CON LA PASTA (ITALIAN BEAN SOUP WITH PASTA)

Steps:

• Sort and wash beans. Place in heavy stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for about an hour. Drain. Add ham hocks and water to cover. Cook until the beans are tender and meat is easy to remove from bones. (2 - 3 hours).
• Drain, reserving 2 cups of liquid. Remove meat from ham bones and set meat aside.
• Sauté onion, carrots, garlic, procuitto and mushrooms in olive oil until tender.
• Add ham, beans, the 2 cups of reserved bean liquid and 6 cups of chicken stock. Cook several hours.
• Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse well. Add to soup. Heat through.
• Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

PASTA E FAGIOLI (ITALIAN PASTA AND BEANS)

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and about 10 twists of black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 6 to 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, stir, and cook until the tomatoes are bubbling all over. Add the broth, water, bay leaves, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
• Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
• Use a heat-safe measuring cup to transfer about 1 1/2 cups of the soup (avoiding the bay leaves) to a blender. Add about 3/4 cup of the drained beans. Securely fasten the lid and blend until completely smooth, being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid. Pour the blended mixture back into the soup.
• Add the remaining beans, pasta, kale and parsley to the simmering soup. Continue cooking, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot, for about 20 minutes, or until the pasta and greens are pleasantly tender.
• Remove the pot from the heat, then remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup as desired, and serve.
• Leftovers taste even better the next day. Allow leftover soup to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Or, freeze leftover soup in individual portions and defrost as necessary.

ZUPPA DI FAGIOLI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and cheese. Crumble sausage over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1/2-in. balls. , Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until juices run clear; drain and set aside., In a Dutch oven, saute the leeks, carrot and celery in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the beans, broths, tomatoes, spinach, basil, parsley, salt, pepper and reserved meatballs. Cover and cook until spinach is tender and meatballs are heated through.