When the stars make you drool like a Pasta E Fagioli, that’s amore

Cooking from the culinary kitchen of Christine Marais at the Elizabethtown Bed and Breakfast this week, I found a woman who actually has more kitchen gadgets than I have. And I thought that I thought that I had them all. Experiencing some cool Carolina mornings of late, I imagined some hearty Italian soup that would take you from the cool morning to the hungry noon.

If you are a soup lover, here is one that is a must try! Pasta E Fagioli (pronounced Pasta Fazool) is an Italian soup that is so hearty we always have it as a complete meal. The English translation is “pasta and beans.”

You can use any type of pasta but traditionally I like to use the Ditalini, which is shaped like a small tube referred as ‘little thimbles’ and is sometimes not easy to find in grocery stores. In this recipe I used Orzo and it came out perfect. Make sure to have warm crusty bread when serving so that you can sop up every last drop!

Here is your Shopping List:

Two Tbsp of light Olive Oil

Eight oz package of chopped Pancetta (salt-cured pork belly meat). You can also get this at the Deli Counter and chop yourself.

Six sprigs of fresh rosemary

Four sprigs of fresh thyme

Three large dried bay leaves

One carrot (chopped)

One large rib of celery (chopped)

One small sweet onion (chopped)

One Tbsp chopped garlic (you can use fresh or jarred)

Coarse Salt and Pepper

Two 15 Oz cans of Cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans) drained and rinsed well

One Cup of canned Petite Chopped Tomatoes

1-1/2 Cups of Ditalini Pasta OR 1 Cup of Orzo

One-quart of Chicken Stock

One-quart of Vegetable Stock

Graded Parmigiano/Romano Cheese

Your Favorite Crusty Bread

In a large pot, heat the oil and pancetta until it is lightly brown. Add the Rosemary, Thyme and Bay Leaves and stir. Add the chopped Carrots, Celery and Onion. Continue stirring. Add Salt and Pepper and you CAN be generous with the pepper.

Add the Beans and Tomatoes and mix all ingredients well. Next Increase the heat and add 1 quart of Chicken Stock and ½ Quart of Vegetable Stock.

Continue stirring until it comes to a boil. Add the Pasta and cook for about 7-9 minutes until al dente.

Then remove from heat and take out the Rosemary and Thyme stems and the Bay Leaves. Add 1/4 cup of grated cheeses and stir.

Cover and let rest.

Serve with the grated cheese on top

This soup should be thick and hearty. The longer it sits, the more the pasta will absorb the liquids. You will have left-over vegetable stock that you can add. It’s almost like an infinity soup. Remember, left-overs are a good thing because flavors in any Italian Dish age like a fine wine.