Pasta Fagioli

[LadyCook61]

Pasta Fazoul

One of my favorite Italian food from childhood. I make sometimes from what I can remember , with ditalini, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, garlic, salt , pepper. I don't recall anything else my mom put in it and can't ask her, she is deceased.

 

[auntdot]

I always get very confused where minestrone ends and pasta fagioli begins.

Yeah I know pasta fagioli has beans but I have had mnestrone made with beans. At least it was called minestrone. And generally pasta fagioli has more pasta than minestrone. Sometimes.

And, indeed, some folks make pasta fagioli with little fluid making it a sorta pasta dish, compared to minestrone which is usually soupy. But have had great 'pasta fagioli' that was soupy.

My guess is just make a great soup with chicken broth, tomatoes, veggies, toss in some pasta (your choice and as much as you want), and beans (with the same caveat), maybe some ground beef, and some spices or whatever else seems appropriate.

Call it what you will.

If anyone organizes a pasta fagioli cook off they can make rules like they do for chili cookoffs.

But my guess is unlike the International Chili Society which, in my opinion quite rightly shuns beans as an ingredient from the major competitions, the International Pasta Fagioli competition would be entirely justified in insisting upon them. Cannelloni beans, kidney beans, pintos, limas should all have a chance at the blue ribbon. The more beans the better.

I realize this is not a profound contribution to food knowledge, but at the moment it is the best I can do.

At least that is the way it seems from here.

God bless.

 

[Constance]

To me, Aunt Dot, minestrone is the Italian vegetable soup, with or without meat, and neither beans nor pasta are the main ingredient. As with many soups, the cook uses what is at hand.

I've never eaten pasta fagioli, but it sounds good, especially if it has a little Italian sausage in it.

 

[Katie H]

I've never had it with Italian sausage, but I would imagine the pasta fagioli "police" wouldn't come and get you if you prepared with some sausage.

It's quite a hearty soup and great with a nice loaf of crusty bread and a salad.

 

[busyfingers]

This traditional Italian dish is actually good for you! A meatless dish that is very satisfying.

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 onion, chopped

1 28 oz. can tomatoes (preferably Italian plum tomatoes)

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped or 3 teaspoons dried

1 cup small elbow macaroni, uncooked

1 15oz. can cannolloin (white kidney beans), undrained

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet. Cook garlic until lightly brown (not burned), discard. Saute onions slowly until soft. Add tomatoes, oregano and parsley. Simmer 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook macaroni until just tender, drain. Add macaroni and beans to tomato mixture and simmer over low heat, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yield 4 servings.

 

[kitchenelf]

Fazool, Fagioli, will give you more options to search if you care to look on Google.

I think the difference between minestrone and fagioli is the vegetables. Minestrone has them and Fagioli does not. I find the fagioli to be more liquidy than a ministrone And this is what I LOVE about cooking - put it on the table and no matter how it is I bet it's good!

A friend made her "secret" family recipe and it was VERY basic. What I had was a light red broth, tomatoes, white beans, pasta, and a bit of hamburger. I'm sure garlic was in there but for the life of me I don't remember onions, unless they were pulverized to where they did not show - and that goes for the carrots and celery because the broth was VERY flavorful - but those ingredients just weren't in the final product. She may have even cooked them in there and then removed them.

If you take busyfinger's recipe, use all dried herbs, add some chicken broth AND some tomato sauce but still have a light broth, you will be VERY close. And, some ground beef.

IMHO, fresh parsley is too "bright" for a pasta fagioli. This definitely requires dried herbs.

And the white/cannellini beans can certainly be changed to kidney beans or a combination thereof.

 

[Ask-A-Butcher]

I make mine basically the same as the rest of you with all the ingredients, except I like to start it off with a ham bone (if I have one) and water for the stock. Let it simmer for an hour or so, skimming any sludge and keeping what ham bits fall off, before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. Gives it that 'something a little different' flavor. I've been known to do that with Minestrone, as well.

 

[kitchenelf]

AAB - I will do the same with a smoked ham hock - YUM!