Pasta e fagioli
Pasta e fagioli is one of the great classics of Italian cuisine.
Each region has its own recipe, its own way of making it, each family makes some personal additions.
Crockpot and beans I used to make this recipe:
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[instagram-feed feed=1]Pasta and fagioli is one of the great classics of Italian cuisine.
Each region of Italy has its own recipe, its own way of making it, each family makes some personal additions. Pasta with beans is truly a perfect comfort food when it's cold and you want to warm up a bit, perhaps after a day spent away from home. Its rustic and special taste really pleases everyone. If you want to make a creamy pasta and beans, this is the right recipe for you. The secret is to crush or blend the beans a little with a hand blender as they cook in order to have a delicious cream!
Pasta with pre-cooked beans is an ace up your sleeve to pull out at the right moment, it's tempting for everyone and it's over immediately!
I used a crockpot to slowly cook the cranberry beans for 8 hours but you can also use a pressure cooker to speed the cooking process.
This is the version I make at home and which is always very successful.
If you want to know how pasta and beans are made, here is the recipe for making it perfectly
- 500 g fagioli borlotti (cranberry beans)
- 1 stick bay leaf
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
- 30 g soffritto (onion, carrot and celery)
- 250 g pasta (ditalini)
- 1 1 garlic bulb
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pinch Rosemary
- 1 drizzle Infused chilli oil
The night before, soak the borlotti beans in cold water overnight.
The next day you will see that they have doubled in volume.
Drain the beans and place them in the pan.
Cover them with cold water. The water must exceed the beans by 3 fingers. Cook for 8 hours. DO NOT add SALT as it hardens the beans and delays cooking.
When the beans are cooked, remove the bay leaf and put some of the beans in the mixing bowl. Add a little cooking broth and blend until you get a smooth cream. Pour the cream into the pot with the beans.
Pour a drizzle of olive oil into a saucepan and add the chopped onion, celery and carrot (soffritto) and whole garlic bulb. Let it simmer gently until wilted.
At this stage, if you want, you can add the bacon and brown it in the sautéed pan.
With a ladle, take the beans and transfer them to the saucepan until completely covered.
Also add the pureed beans.
Mix and cover.
Cook for 15 minutes until it boils.
Now it's time to add your pasta. I chose ditalini pasta format but you can add whatever kind of pasta, as long as it is short.
Mix and cook for the time indicated. About 8/10 minutes.
Pasta e fagioli is ready to serve!
Enjoy hot with a bit of chili oil.
Quickly recipe of infused oil: Pour about ten spoonfuls of olive oil into a pan and add 2 cloves of garlic, 1 chilli pepper and the fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano…). Sautee over low heat so that the aromas perfume the oil. Don't let them burn! Once in the pot, add 1-2 tablespoons of scented oil to your pasta! I assure you this is a real touch of class 😉
You can keep the pasta e fagioli in the fridge for 2 days and heat it right away. I add a little water to dilute it a bit.
You can keep the ready-made beans (without the pasta) in the Freezer for several months. Put the beans in food bags, tie a knot and place in the Freezer.
You can choose any type of pasta. For example I used gluten free ditalini.
