Pasta e Fagioli (Bidigare style)

Pasta e fagioli literally means “pasta and beans”. Most people tend to associate it with minestrone but there are many variations. It often ends up being the kind of dish where you throw in whatever you have on hand in the kitchen when you make it. One of the main differences between this and minestrone, which I love, is that the beans are mashed up, making it thicker and heartier.

Here is the version I grew up eating but feel free to substitute and/or add whatever sounds good to you. I love this dish because it’s quick and easy (and full of beans, which I’m always trying to sneak in our diet).

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 3 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans, undrained and half mashed
• 2 (15-oz) cans red kidney beans
• 2 cups small pasta shells

Steps

1. Heat oil in large pot and then add chopped celery, onion, and garlic. Cook until onion is golden, (about 7-10 minutes).
2. While vegetables are cooking, mash approximately half of the cannellini beans.
3. When the onions are golden, add in the broth, cannellini beans, and red kidney beans and bring to a boil. **
4. Add pasta, decrease heat to medium, and cook until noodles are tender.

**I don’t drain or rinse canned beans when I cook with them. A lot of recipes call for this to reduce the sodium content but then you also lose some of the water-soluble vitamins. If you’re concerned about sodium in your diet, you still get plenty of vitamins and fiber after draining and rinsing. Also, you could start with low-sodium beans. Check out this comparison by Tufts University for more info.