Monday, June 25, 2012

Meatless Monday - pasta e fagioli


Pasta and what?

I remember picking up a can of beans many years ago and wondering what the hell a fagioli was and why was it in a can? Then I turned the can around and found out it was beans. I was still in my "OH MY GOD GROSS! WHY WOULD ANYONE EAT BEANS" phase, so put the can down and beat a hasty retreat.

Oh how naive and silly was I! Oh how delicious and good for you beans are! I'm more concerned about them being delicious, but the health factor is a nice bonus.

I sort of experimented a bit here, having never made this before and I worried it was too minestrone-like. But then I made some foccacia and topped my bowl with home-made pesto and stopped caring. it was good! I like the smooth richness of the saucy soup broken up by the perfectly-cooked mini penne. Just right for rainy day lunches and snuggly suppers on the couch. Both of which I indulged in.

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 brown onion, diced small
1 tablespoon dried rosemary (still waiting for my seeds to grow!)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can each borlotti beans and kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 litre veggie stock (you can use water)
1 cup tomato passata
1 tablespoon tomato paste
a pinch of sugar
2 cups cooked penne
salt and cracked black pepper
fresh basil

Directions:

1. Saute the garlic, celery and onion gently over medium heat 5-6 minutes until softened.

2. Add dried rosemary and oregano and cook 1 mintue.

3. Add beans, tomatoes, stock, passata, tomato paste and a pinch of sugar. Turn heat up and just bring to the boil, then turn it down and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour. You can put a lid on, but I quite like how it naturally reduces and develops the flavours without it.

4. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Add the penne and torn fresh basil and serve with parmesan cheese and a good bread.


Linky bitz...
The linky will be up every Monday morning, and will stay up until the following Sunday. It doesn't matter if you eat your meal on a day other than Monday - it's just an easy day to create the link
Grab the Meatless Monday button above and put it in your post, and even on your sidebar if you're feeling generous.
Visit at least one other blogger and leave some love. This is so much more cool if we're in it together!


Where it says "Name", you might like to add the name of your dish instead or as well.
 




13 comments:

  1. Ha, glad to hear teachers enjoy the uni break as much as students! I am loving all the extra time for cooking and crafting and park trips with my girl. As I have 13 novels to read for next semester I am getting stuck into them now. But really, even when you don't get to choose which ones, reading books counts as a holiday activity. Bliss! I am definitely going to make this pasta e fagioli, Veggie Mama. It looks like perfect lunch, lazy left over dinner type fare. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yum, I make a similar recipe with as many beans as I can put in the pan, fresh herbs from the garden, and carrot and zucchini. It is my youngest son's favorite meal. I searve it with pasta or rice. Enjoy your break :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yum looks delicious!  It's definitely the time for soups and hot foods.  I made veggie and red lentil stew with rice (but the pic doesn't do it justice so I didn't dare share it anywhere else than instagram haha) xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mmmm.. mouth watering.  Thanks for the recipe and thanks for always hosting the party.  Lots of fun!

    ReplyDelete
  5. flyingdrunkenmonkeyJune 25, 2012 at 4:30 PM

    Oh that looks so good!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. haha sometimes I make the most delicious things and think "i can't blog that!" because it looks SO awful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes I was surprised! I thought it would look pretty much like a bowl of brown mess. Not so!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is one of my favorite soups... makes me think of visiting my Italian grandmother's house. I could smell the soup cooking as I climbed the stairs to her apartment. 

    ReplyDelete
  9. This looks so delicious and comforting.  yum, I will be making it this week!  made your banana pikelets last Wednesday night and they were a HUGE hit!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Whether or not I've got a bad case of Mondayitis Stacey but I always forget about your Meatless Monday linky party. Maybe I need to put a big note up on my wall! LOL I make a nice kidney bean soup full of Italian flavours. Perfect weather for it lately.

    Anne xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh man, how good are they! Abby eats half a batch, seriously. I hear plenty of "ta? taaaaaaaa?" about 40 seconds after I've given her a bunch!

    ReplyDelete