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Pasta e Fagioli

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

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Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 2 celery stalks
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 3/4 cups cooked or canned cannellini or pinto beans (one 15-ounce can)
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
  • 1 cup tiny cut pasta (like ditalini or orzo)
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley
  • 4 ounces Parmesan cheese (1 cup grated)

Instructions

  1. Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over low heat.
  2. Trim, peel, and chop the onion; add it to the pot.
    Trim and peel the carrots.
    Trim 2 celery stalks.
    Chop the carrots and celery, add them to the pot, and stir.
  3. Raise the heat to medium-high. When the vegetables start sizzling after a minute or so, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. Peel and chop 2 cloves garlic; add to the pot and stir.
    If you’re using canned beans, rinse and drain them.
  5. When the vegetables are soft, add 2 sprigs rosemary to the pot. Stir until fragrant, less than 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice, breaking them up with a spoon and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add 6 cups stock or water and raise the heat to high.
  6. When the soup comes to a boil, stir in the beans and 1 cup pasta. Return the mixture to a boil; adjust the heat so it bubbles steadily. Start tasting the pasta after 5 minutes; it should be tender but not mushy. If the pot starts to look dry, add water a little at a time.
  7. Chop 1/2 cup parsley leaves.
    Grate 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
  8. When the pasta is tender, turn off the heat. Fish out the rosemary sprigs and discard. Taste and adjust the seasoning. To serve, garnish each serving with 2 tablespoons parsley, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast