Pasta e Fagioli

As the cold of winter has finally descended, it’s the perfect time to warm up customers with a steaming bowl of hearty soup. Here, restaurateur Anthony Scalise shares his family’s recipe for the traditional Pasta e Fagioli (literally pasta and beans) of which there are countless versions across the Old Country!

Anthony says the dish becomes extremely popular with his customers as soon as there’s a chill in the air. He adds that while it’s an ideal first course, this age old favorite is hearty enough to be eaten as a meal in itself!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups drained and rinsed canned
• cannellini beans
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¼ pound pasta (shells or macaroni) cooked until al dente
• 3 ½ cups undrained chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• freshly ground black pepper
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Heat oil over medium heat in an 8 quart saucepan. Add onion, celery, and garlic; cook until tender. Add beans and broth, heat to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add cooked pasta, tomatoes, and basil; season with black pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, or until hot throughout. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Makes about six to eight 1 ½ cup servings.