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White Bean and
Pasta Soup
This is our variation on pasta e fagioli ("pasta
fazool," pasta and beans), a dish served all over
Italy. It's a hearty soup, thick and rich with
vegetables. Serve it with pane pugliese for a
satisfying and traditional Italian repast.
1 cup (8 ounces) dried white beans
4 cups (32 ounces) water
10 cups (80 ounces) chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups (9 ounces) diced onions (1 1/2 medium)
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) sliced carrots (2 medium)
1 1/2 cups (6 1/2 ounces) diced celery
2 to 3 cups (12 ounces) diced fennel (1 bulb)
4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 bay leaves
1 cup (2 ounces dry) uncooked bow-tie pasta
1/2 cup (1 ounce) sun-dried tomatoes, diced (or
dried tomato flakes)
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
Clean and soak the beans in the 4 cups of water. You
can soak them overnight, or do a "quick soak" by
bringing the beans and water to a boil, removing
them from the heat, and letting them soak for 1
hour.
Drain the beans, and place them in a large soup pot
with the chicken stock. Saute the vegetables in the
olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the
vegetables, garlic and bay leaves to the beans in
the chicken stock. Simmer for 1 hour, or until the
beans are tender.
Add the pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and thyme
to the soup, then simmer for 10 minutes, or until
the pasta is tender. Serve hot, sprinkled with the
fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. Yield: about 10
servings.
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