Pasta e Fagioli

Way back then Wart gave me a cookbook from Cook's Illustrated titled "The Best 30-Minute Recipe." I haven't done a lot with it other than make a great Italian soup called Pasta e Fagioli.

Although the book touts making the recipes in 30 minutes, it usually takes me an hour. (I'm not that good of a cook.)

As you see below, the recipe is pretty basic in the ingredients it calls for. The only thing I had to buy at the store was the bacon. (I've now divided up the package and froze the remaining bacon in 3 zip-locks for future needs.)

An inside joke: I was throwing everything together and read "add carrots." What carrots!? A quick review of the ingredients called for two carrots, luckily I had a couple left over from last week's broccoli soup recipe from Lion House. Silly me. Someday I'll read the entire recipe before I begin.

It was pretty cold tonight coming home from work after running a few errands and this soup, like all soups in winter, hit the spot in my little belly.

Not to be too healthy, afterwards I brought out the vanilla bean ice cream. But with a guilty conscience I added blueberries for the anti-oxidants.

Pasta e Fagioli

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. minced fresh oregano, or ½ tsp. dried

Salt and ground black pepper

4 slices, bacon, chopped fine

1 onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, chopped fine

½ cup small pasta (ditalini, orzo, or stellini, etc.

1 cup frozen cut green beans

Grated Parmesan cheese

Making the Minutes Count:

Mince the onion while the bacon cooks. Chop the carrot while the onion cooks

1. Heat broth mixture: Bring broth, beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, and ½ tsp. salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan and set aside

2. Cook bacon and onion: Meanwhile, cook bacon in large saucepan over medium-high heat until fat is partially rendered, about 2 minutes. Stir in onion and ¼ tsp. salt and cook until softened and slightly browned, about 8 minutes.

3. Add garlic, broth mixture, carrots, and pasta: Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth mixture, carrots, and pasta. Bring to simmer and cook until carrots and pasta are tender, 9 to 11 minutes.

4. Add green beans and season: Stir in green beans and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Off heat, remove bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Served, passing grated Parmesan separately.