I have been eating Pasta Fazool for as long as I can remember… Long before I knew the dish was called Pasta e Fagioli! And certainly before I knew fazool came from the word for beans in the Neapolitan dialect!

For as many pronunciations as there are, there are variations of this simple peasant dish of pasta and beans – some more soup than pasta and beans, some more pasta and beans than soup and then there are the different kinds of beans… I like my Pasta e Fagioli to be really hearty with a little more pasta but definitely with broth. After all, you have to mop it up with some delicious crusty bread!

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary, left whole
1 sprig thyme, left whole
1 dried bay leaves
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Sea salt and pepper
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained
1 cup canned tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups ditalini pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese
Crusty Italian or French bread

Heat olive oil in a deep pot and add onion, garlic and veggies. Cook for a few minutes until veggies start to soften and garlic/onion start to brown. Add 2 cans of beans and tomato sauce. Mix well to incorporate, add water and broth.

Bring to a rapid boil over a medium heat. Add pasta and cook for about 8 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and Parmesan cheese.

** If you prefer more soup then pasta, reduce pasta to 1.5 cups.

** I used ditalini pasta because that is what I am accustomed to but you can use any small pasta (mini elbows, mini farfalle) or break up a long pasta like linguine.