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PASTA E FAGIOLI - PASTA AND BEAN SOUP
Serves 6
The classic bean variety for pasta e fagioli is the cranberry or Scotch
bean, brightly marbled in white and pink or even deep red hues. When cooked,
its flavor is unlike that of any other bean, subtly recalling that of chestnuts.
In the spring and summer it is available fresh in its pod and many specialty
or ethnic vegetable markets carry it. When very fresh, the pods are firm
and brilliantly colored, but even if they are wilted and discolored, the
beans inside are likely to be perfectly sound. They can be frozen with great
success and are better than the dried kind. If you market carriers fresh
cranberry beans in season, you could buy a substantial quantity, and freeze
the shelled beans in tightly sealed plastic. If fresh cranberry beans are
not available, the dried are a wholly satisfactory substitute and, if necessary,
one may even use the canned. If you can't find cranberry beans in any form,
you can substitute dried red kidney beans.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped onion
3 tablespoons chopped carrot
3 tablespoons chopped celery
3 or 4 pork ribs, or a ham bone with some lean meat attached, or 2 little
pork chops
2/3 cup canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice,
or fresh tomatoes, if ripe and firm, peeled and cut up
2 pounds fresh cranberry beans, unshelled weight, or 1 cup dried cranberry
or red kidney beans, soaked and cooked, or 3 cups canned cranberry or red
kidney beans, drained
3 cups (or more if needed) Basic Homemade Meat Broth, or 1 cup canned beef
broth diluted with 2 cups water
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Either maltagliati pasta, homemade with 1 egg and 2/3 cup flour, or 1/2
pound small, tubular macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1. Put the olive oil and chopped onion in a soup pot and turn on the heat
to medium. Cook the onion stirring it, until it becomes colored a pale gold.
2. Add the carrot and celery, stir once or twice to coat them well, then
add the pork. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning the meat and the vegetables
over from time to time with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the cut-up tomatoes and their juice, adjust the heat so that the
juices simmer very gently, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. If using fresh beans: shell them, rinse them in cold water, and put them
in the soup pot. Stir 2 or 3 times to coat them well, then add the broth.
Cover the pot, adjust the heat so that the broth bubbles at a steady, but
gentle boil, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the beans are fully
tender.
If using cooked dried beans or the canned: extend the cooking time for the
tomatoes in Step 3 to 20 minutes. Add the drained cooked or canned beans,
stirring them thoroughly to coat them well. Cook for 5 minutes, them add
the broth, cover the pot, and bring the broth to a gentle boil.
5. Scoop up about 1/2 cup of the beans and mash them trough a food mill
back into the pot. Add salt, a few grindings of black pepper, and stir thoroughly.
6. Check the soup for density: It should be liquid enough to cook the pasta
in. If necessary, add more broth or, if you are using diluted canned broth,
more water. When the soup has come to a steady, moderate boil, add the pasta.
If you are using homemade pasta, tatse for doneness after 1 minute. If you
are using macaroni pasta, it will take several minutes longer, but stop
the cooking when the pasta is tender, but still firm to the bite. Before
turning off the heat, swirl in 1 tablespoon of butter and the grated cheese.
7. Pour the soup into a large serving bowl or into individual plates, and
allow to settle for 10 minutes before serving. It tastes best when eaten
warm, rather than piping hot.
Variation with Rice: The same soup with rice. Substitute 1 cup of rice, preferably Italian Arborio
rice, for the pasta. Follow all other steps as given above.
Ahead-of-time note:
You can prepare the soup amlost entirely in advance but stop at the end
of Step 5. Add and cook the pasta or rice only when you are going to make
the soup ready for serving.
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