Vegetarian pasta fagioli is a simple, rustic Italian bean and pasta soup that’s extremely easy to make and can be on the table in just about 30 minutes. What’s fabulous about pasta e fagioli is that it’s like two recipes in one – add a bit more stock for a soup and a bit less for a pasta dish!
Just like with caponata, the eggplant antipasto recipe I recently posted on the blog, you’d be hard pressed to find just one master recipe for pasta e fagioli.
There are lots of regional variations – some tomato-based, others stock-based; some thin, others thick; some vegetarian, others include pancetta or parmesan. The only thing you can be sure about is that you need pasta and beans.
Vegetarian pasta fagioli is the kind of dish you can make year-round. As with all soups, it’s warm, comforting and hearty in the winter, but with the addition of seasonal veggies like zucchini and fresh tomato you’ve got yourself a delicious, refreshing, vitamin-packed summer soup that makes a great vegan main dish just served with a bit of crusty bread.
While the idea of a hot soup in the summer might not sound appealing, if you’ve got a vegetable garden, soup is an easy no-fuss way to use what’s ripe at the moment.
Last year the basil in my urban gardenwent a little wild and I used it not only to make pesto, but also soupe au pistou, which is a French summertime pasta-bean soup and very similar to pasta e fagioli but with the addition of a delicious pesto-like sauce.
But if you still prefer cold soupsin the summertime, don’t worry, you’ll find a ton here on the blog! And if you’re a fan hearty of Italian soups, you’ll love my version of vegan white bean and kale soup with a secret ingredient in place of the Parmesan cheese!
This vegetarian pasta fagioli recipe makes enough to feed four and it’s best if you eat it as soon as it’s prepared. Once you add the pasta, the soup will start to thicken up and the pasta could get mushy.
So if you’re not sure that you’ll be able to finish it in one sitting, store the pasta separately from the soup until you’re ready to serve. You can also freeze the soup without the pasta and simply cook up some fresh pasta when you’re ready for it.
Serves 4
Vegetarian pasta fagioli is a simple, rustic Italian bean and pasta soup that’s extremely easy to make and can be on the table in just about 30 minutes.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Half an onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 780 gram can (28 oz) of whole tomatoes
- 570 gram jar (20 oz) of white beans
- 125 grams (4.5 oz) baby spinach
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper, to taste
- 200 grams (7 oz) short pasta
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil, onion, carrot and celery. Fry for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and transparent.
- Add the garlic and fry until soft, then add the zucchini and basil. Fry for another couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomatoes and their juice and use your spoon to break them into smaller pieces.
- Add the beans and their liquid, spinach, vegetable stock, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a separate pot, cook the the pasta until al dente. Drain and add the pasta to the soup. Serve immediately.
Instructions:
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Article source: http://www.cilantroandcitronella.com/vegetarian-pasta-fagioli/
