Pasta Fagioli with Fresh Basil Pesto

Pasta Fagioli is one of those simple to make meals that works for lunch or for dinner.  You can change elements, add stuff or even take things out to make it just how you like it.  It is a traditional Italian pasta dish that is made with lots of pantry staples and finished best with homemade pesto – don’t worry, I have a recipe here for that too!

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What is pasta fagioli?

Pasta e Fagioli or pasta fagioli translates to ‘pasta and beans’ and that’s the heart of this dish – cannellini beans and pasta.  There’s a bit more to it but that’s the core elements of the recipe. 

The dish is a traditional soup that has lots of regional variations across Italy, even down to what beans are used.  Great northern beans or borlotti beans are commonly substituted while different areas use different pasta.  For some, it is more of a soup while for others it is a bit like a pasta stew and adds pancetta, one of my favourites.

How to make fresh basil pesto

With this dish, there are two things you need to finish it perfectly – Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil pesto.  One is easy enough to grab and here’s the instructions for the other.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil, loosely packed
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 – 4 garlic cloves, peeled (amount based on personal taste and strength of garlic variety used).
• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons really good extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste 

Strip the stems from the basil, wash and pat dry.  Add it to a food processor or blender with pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan.  Give a quick pulse until just combined then add 1/3 cup olive oil and blend thoroughly.

Add the rest of the oil and the rest of the cheese until you get the consistency you like.  Season and you are ready to go.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge until use.

What you need to make Pasta Fagioli

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 – 4 medium-sized garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4 cups chicken stock, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (1 tablespoon fresh)
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped seeds and pulp removed
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed, pureed
• ¾ cups uncooked Ditalini or elbow pasta
• 1 can cannellini beans with liquid
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Kitchen equipment

• Large saucepan

How to make the recipe

STEP 1: In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil on medium high then add the celery and onions and sauté until tender.  Add the garlic and cook for up to a minute but don’t let it brown.

STEP 2: Add 2.5 cups of chicken broth to the pot then the herbs and red pepper places.  Season and stir.

STEP 3: Add the chopped and pureed tomatoes and simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Add the pasta (cooked or uncooked as you prefer) and cook for another 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

STEP 4: Add the beans and liquid to the pot and heat through then serve.

Storing the recipe

After cooking: Store in the fridge for up to 3 days then reheat before serving.

Freezing the recipe: If you want to freeze it, best to do it without the pasta as it doesn’t freeze well.  Make the recipe up to the point of adding the pasta then allow to cool completely.  Store in airtight containers for up to 3 months.  Defrost then reheat, add the cooked pasta and finish the final step.  You may need a little more liquid if the mixture is a little solid after freezing.

Recipe tips

If the sauce is a little bitter, add a little sugar to balance it out while cooking.  This might sound a little weird but it is something Robert does with any tomato based sauce.  That’s because tomato is quite acidic and bitter so the sugar helps to offset this.

If you prefer pasta to be well cooked, boil it in a pan of hot water until cooked first then follow the instructions.  Some recipes will tell you to add pasta uncooked but personally, I like pasta to be nice and soft so I always cook it first.

If you can’t get Parmesan, Romano cheese will also work.  It may be the lesser known relation to Parmesan but the two are closely related and it will work fine in both the pesto and on the dish to serve.

Yield: 4 portions

Pasta Fagioli with Fresh Basil Pesto

Print

A classic Italian dish with pasta, tomatoes and beans that is perfect as a soup or made a little thicker for a dinner meal

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 – 4 medium-sized garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4 cups chicken stock, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (1 tablespoon fresh)
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped seeds and pulp removed
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed, pureed
• ¾ cups uncooked Ditalini or elbow pasta
• 1 can cannellini beans with liquid
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil on medium high then add the celery and onions and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and cook for up to a minute but don’t let it brown.

Add 2.5 cups of chicken broth to the pot then the herbs and red pepper places. Season and stir.

Add the chopped and pureed tomatoes and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add the pasta (cooked or uncooked as you prefer) and cook for another 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Add the beans and liquid to the pot and heat through then serve.

Notes

Garnish with fresh pesto, Parmesan and serve with crusty Italian bread

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 556Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 815mgCarbohydrates: 85gFiber: 11gSugar: 11gProtein: 24g

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