Recipe Talk

Moved and list the recipe. Probably was in Woman's World magazine at least 10 years ago.

Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro

Pasta "Fazool"

Total Time:1 hr 5 min

Prep:10 min

Cook:55 min

Yield:4 servings

Level:Easy

Pasta "Fazool"

Total Time:1 hr 5 minPrep:10 minCook:55 min

Yield:4 servings

Level:Easy

Ingredients

6 ounces pancetta, diced

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

2 15 -ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 -ounce can crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup ditalini or other small pasta

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil

Fast. Easy. Delicious.
Made in 30 minutes or less

Directions

Cook the pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta to paper towels to drain, reserving the fat in the pot.

Add the onion, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and a couple pinches of salt to the pot and saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

Deglaze the pot with the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Add the chicken stock, beans, tomatoes and 1 cup water to the pot. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender, about 30 seconds, keeping at least half of the beans intact (or puree in a regular blender, then return to the pot). Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes. Stir in the pancetta and half each of the parmesan and basil. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, and garnish with the remaining parmesan and basil.

Serve with Soppressata Sandwiches.

Photograph by Ryan Liebe

When blending hot liquids, first let cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer to a blender, filling only halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open; Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters and pulse until smooth.

Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro for Food Network Magazine

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Pasta Fagioli Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Yield: Serves 4-6

Ditalini pasta is commonly used for pasta e fagioli, but you can use any short pasta—or you can break up vermicelli into small bits.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock for vegetarian option
1 cup chopped peeled tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/2 pound ditalini pasta
2 15-ounce cans cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed (or 3 1/2 cups of freshly cooked beans*)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and black pepper to taste

* To cook the beans from scratch, start with 1 3/4 cups dry beans. Either soak them overnight in water, or cover them with boiling water and let them sit for an hour, then drain. Place the soaked beans in a pot, cover with two inches of water, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender, about an hour.

Method

1 Sauté onions, carrots, celery, garlic: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, carrot and celery for 2-3 minutes, until its soft and translucent. Add the garlic, chile flakes and Italian seasoning and sauté another minute.

2 Add stock, tomatoes, pasta: Add the chicken stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and keep the soup at a strong simmer.

3 Add beans, parsley: When the pasta is al dente, add the beans and cook another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley. Add salt and black pepper to taste

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Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
By Todd Wilbur

Recipe Type: Soup
Calories: 400
Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Recipe Rating: 4.8 (258 reviews)




Menu Description: "White and red beans, ground beef, tomatoes and pasta in a savory broth."

It's amazing how many lousy clone recipes for this delicious chili-like soup are floating around the Internet. Cooking message boards, and questionable sites that claim to have "actual restaurant recipes" have for years passed off numerous versions only to have disappointed home chefs waste ingredients. What's puzzling is they leave out major ingredients that you can clearly see in the real thing, like the carrots, or ground beef, or two kinds of beans. Others don't even get the pasta right - it's obviously ditali pasta, which are short little tubes. So, if you want the taste of Olive Garden's famous Pasta e Fagioli at home, this may be the only recipe out there that will live up to a side-by-side taste test. Beware of imitation imitations!

Source: "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2" by Todd Wilbur.




1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta




1. Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.

2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

4. About 50 minutes into the simmering, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.

5. Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more and serve.

Serves 8.