Pasta e Fagioli

I came across this recipe via an email from Food & Wine magazine. Somehow I ended up with a subscription to their magazine without ever having subscribed or paid for it. I actually get two magazines each month and have one to give away if anyone is interested. I've contacted them twice to make them aware but nothing has changed and it's going on two years now. Oh well.

Anyway, I get regular emails with recipes via a link to their subscriber webpage. The most recent one had several spring time soups and the Pasta e Fagioli was the one that caught my eye. It is a straightforward recipe with a relatively short list of ingredients and a short prep time. Sometimes those recipes yield some of the best soups and other times not so much. This time was a winner, winner. The original recipe called for fresh Fava Beans. I had no luck finding fresh favas anywhere here in the Tucson, at least at Fry's, Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. I went with Cannellini Beans instead, easier to find and more fun to say "Cannellini" than "Fava", kind of like Gomez Addams saying "Cara Mia" to Morticia.

So in addition to substituting cannellinis for favas I doubled the amount of bacon and found I had to double the chicken broth from 1 quart to 2 quarts otherwise it was a stew instead of a soup. As always I added fresh lemon juice to add just the right finishing touch. Be sure not to skip the rosemary, it makes the soup. If you don't have rosemary growing in your garden check your neighborhood, someone's sure to have a bush you can pluck.

Prep time is about 60-90 minutes depending on your experience level, my modified recipe yields about 10-12 large servings.

INGREDIENTS

2 sixteen ounce cans of cannellini beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 thick slices of bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
2 carrots, unpeeled, sliced lengthwise and then into 1/4 inch half-moons
1 large onion, red, white, brown, whatever, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 three inch long sprig of fresh rosemary
2 quarts of chicken stock
1 cup of tubetti or other small pasta
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to taste
Grated parmigiano-Reggiano for serving, Trader Joe's is the best I've found

METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven and add the bacon and cook over medium heat until it starts to brown, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, onions, garlic, and rosemary. Cook about 5 minutes stirring occasionally, be sure not to scorch the garlic.
3. Add the stock, cover, and simmer over low heat until the carrots are just beginning to get tender, about 5 minutes. Be sure you scrape the bottom of the pot for the fond from the bacon.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan boil water with a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the pasta until al dente and then drain.
5. Remove the rosemary from the soup and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste
6. Add the beans and pasta, heat through.
7. Serve, drizzle with olive oil and cheese.