Pasta e fagioli

Pasta e fagioliis a typical Italian dish, simple and poor, which has its origins in the countryside tradition, and of which there are several regional variations. Indeed there is no official recipe for pasta and beans, but a recipe for almost every area. It may be the most national dish of Italy, present in all regions, from the Alps to the Mediterranean.

Nutritional Facts

The beans

At the basis of pasta and beans there is the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), which arrived in Europe from the Americas in the 1530s along with other crops such as tomatoes and peppers.

The other ingredients can typically include pasta, garlic, onion, broth, lard, olive oil, celery, and, depending on the recipe, sage, thyme, parsley, marjoram, pepper, tomato, ham or bacon. In the past it was a typical winter soup, healthy, economical and complete, used as a main dish and replacing the meat as a source of a significant amount of protein.

Variations

Secrets

• The flavor of fresh beans is definitely different from the dried beans we eat in the winter, since fresh legumes do not need soaking and cook in a shorter time.
• The "pasta e fagioli" must not be too dry, or too "soupy", and the pasta should be cooked along with the beans, thus retaining all the starch that gives a thick, creamy sauce.
• As an alternative to lard, chicken or vegetable broth can be used, the "soffritto" with chopped herbs may be tinged with white wine, at the end chopped fresh rosemary and a sprinkling of pecorino may be added.
• The favorite pasta in many Italian versions is the "ditali", but it is also a dish good for recycling, using all the leftovers of pasta (but with approximately same cooking time), coarsely chopped pasta, or, if you want a really divine dish, hand-made pasta without eggs.
• For a faster cooking, a pressure pot may be used, or good-quality canned beans (but it will never be the same as slow cooking!)