This is an easy, quicker version of the Italian staple, Pasta e Fagiole soup which, for some inexplicable reason, is pronounced "Pasta Fazhool". Linguists of the world, please do not unite and try to explain to me exactly why this is. I can actually work some, less-abstruse parts of it out for myself. I just prefer to hyperbolize. I would say this is an "x-ingredient recipe" except that the actual number of ingredients is not impressively-sounding low enough although, for the record, neither is the typical "x-ingredient recipe" if you count the actual number of ingredients required. Let me rant a little here: if the recipe boldly highlights, possibly with full-color pictures, a can of some kind of soup, a jar of ketchup, and a package of ground beef, that does not mean those are the only ingredients if the rest of the (text) part of the recipe goes on to explain that you also need an onion, 4 different kinds of spices, a tub of sour cream, specialty cheesecloth, and a yak. If an illiterate person combined the "three ingredients" he or she would not get a result like unto the picture. Also, literate persons are then required to make a trip to a) the regular grocery store for two of the four spices that they don't have and the sour cream (who keeps sour cream besides people with serious nacho fixations?) and b) the specialty grocery for the cheesecloth and yak.
Anyway, while the number of ingredients in this recipe is not of an Olympic-quality lowness, it is a pretty short list. And, more importantly, the actual time to make this is about 12-15 minutes. The end result is a pretty decent pot of Pasta e Fagioli soup that is hearty enough for a big bowlful for dinner or as an accompaniment to other things. The tomato flavor is considerably rich, so if you want a lighter (or just brothier) soup, put in half the tomato sauce and substitute the missing volume with water. (Or prepared broth of your choice.)
Rich Weekday Pasta e Fagioli
2 14-oz. cans red kidney beans, drained
1 15-oz. can prepared tomato sauce (your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce might be good here too)
8 oz. pasta
1 clove garlic
2-3 C. boiling water on hand
1 tsp. salt (or less-- I'm happy with the flavor I got but it could be less salty and still be flavorful)
1-2 TB. cooking oil
mint flakes, ground red pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp. each)
plenty of grated Parmesan cheese to serve it with*
Get your hot water ready in a separate pan (or microwave it, or use an electric tea kettle...whatever works for you). Mince the garlic. In a medium-small soup pot, heat the oil, then saute the garlic over medium heat just until it starts to release its flavors. Then, add in the spices and salt (or you can wait to add the salt until the end) and stir them around in the bottom of the pot for a few seconds to allow them all to frizzle and release their flavors. Then, dump in the cans of beans and tomato sauce. Bring all that to a rapid simmer, stirring to mix the spices and garlic in thoroughly. Then, dump in the uncooked macaroni. Yes, you read me correctly. No extra water (at this time). Continue to stir, making sure to frequently scrape the bottom of the pot. As the pasta starts to cook, it will begin to absorb the excess water from the beans and tomato sauce. Once the mixture starts getting thick, add in a little water, about 1/2 C. Continue to stir until all this is absorbed, then repeat the process until the macaroni is fully cooked and the soup is the consistency you like it, about 10-12 minutes. It's a given that the pasta will absorb the remaining liquid overnight, so be prepared to add a little water in the next time you eat it...or just enjoy it the way it is.) Serve piping hot with plenty of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
I know I have been remiss in posting the amount a recipe will make, so here, for the first time (I think) is the quantity:
Makes 6-8 side dish portions or 3-4 dinner-sized portions.
_________
*It is officially the Italian way to put a heap of Parmesan on top of whatever you may be eating, whether it be soup, meat, or dessert. (Okay, I'm kidding about the dessert.) But you can leave it off if you have lactose issues, or are having difficulty finding cruelty-free dairy options. I will confess that this is a frustration of mine as well. All the Fancy Dancy Grocers I've ever been to have all kinds of specialty liquid dairy and, to some extent, yogurt options. In the realm of liquid dairy, I am pretty sure if I wanted to find milk from a genetically-modified emu raised in a host family from Honduras where it was given a primary education and attended church with the family once a week, I could. But when it comes to actual cheese, mysteriously there are no longer any choices. "But what if I want to know if the cows who were integral in the making of this cheese lived lives similar to a cow's natural inclinations and also not fed gummy worms because grain or hay was too expensive (not making this up)?" I mentally ask the Fancy Dancy Grocers. "Too bad for you," imply the Fancy Dancy Grocers with their lack of options.
Anyway, while the number of ingredients in this recipe is not of an Olympic-quality lowness, it is a pretty short list. And, more importantly, the actual time to make this is about 12-15 minutes. The end result is a pretty decent pot of Pasta e Fagioli soup that is hearty enough for a big bowlful for dinner or as an accompaniment to other things. The tomato flavor is considerably rich, so if you want a lighter (or just brothier) soup, put in half the tomato sauce and substitute the missing volume with water. (Or prepared broth of your choice.)
Rich Weekday Pasta e Fagioli
2 14-oz. cans red kidney beans, drained
1 15-oz. can prepared tomato sauce (your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce might be good here too)
8 oz. pasta
1 clove garlic
2-3 C. boiling water on hand
1 tsp. salt (or less-- I'm happy with the flavor I got but it could be less salty and still be flavorful)
1-2 TB. cooking oil
mint flakes, ground red pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp. each)
plenty of grated Parmesan cheese to serve it with*
Get your hot water ready in a separate pan (or microwave it, or use an electric tea kettle...whatever works for you). Mince the garlic. In a medium-small soup pot, heat the oil, then saute the garlic over medium heat just until it starts to release its flavors. Then, add in the spices and salt (or you can wait to add the salt until the end) and stir them around in the bottom of the pot for a few seconds to allow them all to frizzle and release their flavors. Then, dump in the cans of beans and tomato sauce. Bring all that to a rapid simmer, stirring to mix the spices and garlic in thoroughly. Then, dump in the uncooked macaroni. Yes, you read me correctly. No extra water (at this time). Continue to stir, making sure to frequently scrape the bottom of the pot. As the pasta starts to cook, it will begin to absorb the excess water from the beans and tomato sauce. Once the mixture starts getting thick, add in a little water, about 1/2 C. Continue to stir until all this is absorbed, then repeat the process until the macaroni is fully cooked and the soup is the consistency you like it, about 10-12 minutes. It's a given that the pasta will absorb the remaining liquid overnight, so be prepared to add a little water in the next time you eat it...or just enjoy it the way it is.) Serve piping hot with plenty of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
I know I have been remiss in posting the amount a recipe will make, so here, for the first time (I think) is the quantity:
Makes 6-8 side dish portions or 3-4 dinner-sized portions.
_________
*It is officially the Italian way to put a heap of Parmesan on top of whatever you may be eating, whether it be soup, meat, or dessert. (Okay, I'm kidding about the dessert.) But you can leave it off if you have lactose issues, or are having difficulty finding cruelty-free dairy options. I will confess that this is a frustration of mine as well. All the Fancy Dancy Grocers I've ever been to have all kinds of specialty liquid dairy and, to some extent, yogurt options. In the realm of liquid dairy, I am pretty sure if I wanted to find milk from a genetically-modified emu raised in a host family from Honduras where it was given a primary education and attended church with the family once a week, I could. But when it comes to actual cheese, mysteriously there are no longer any choices. "But what if I want to know if the cows who were integral in the making of this cheese lived lives similar to a cow's natural inclinations and also not fed gummy worms because grain or hay was too expensive (not making this up)?" I mentally ask the Fancy Dancy Grocers. "Too bad for you," imply the Fancy Dancy Grocers with their lack of options.
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