Pasta Fasul
Description:
This dish arrived in America during the wave of Italian immigration in the late 19th and early 20th century. The majority of these immigrants were from Southern Italy, which was a very poor region at the time. A soup of pasta and beans was very affordable and also filling, making it an ideal meal for poor Italians in both the old world and America. In standard Italian, this dish is called “pasta e fagioli”, meaning “pasta and beans”, and is referred to by this name in Italy today. However, this dish goes by the name of “pasta fasul” because of the fact that many of the Italian immigrants who prepared this dish were from the Naples region of Italy. In the Neapolitan dialect, the word for bean is “fasul” (fazool), as opposed to “fagiole” in standard Italian. The recipe I’m sharing is my family recipe that I grew up eating and still continue to make. Many recipes for this dish typically include carrots, celery and chicken stock, but despite having tried that version, I still prefer my family recipe that you can find below.
Ingredients:
2 cups puréed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 can of cannelini beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 medium onion, diced
1/3 box macaroni, ditalini or shell-shaped pasta
1 bay leaf
1 tsp olive oil
Chile flakes
Salt & pepper
Pecorino cheese
Preparation:
In a pot, heat the oil over medium and add the garlic and onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the tomato and beans. Fill the tomato can full with water and add to the pot. Add the chili flakes and bay leaf, and cook over medium for 15-20 minutes.
In a separate pot, boil water and cook pasta per package directions. When it has 2 minutes of cooking time remaining, add to the soup. Turn off the heat, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon into a bowl and top with plenty of pecorino cheese.
Notes:
The way you cook the pasta can effect the consistency of the soup - if you prefer it to be thicker, cook the pasta in the same pot as the rest of the soup.
Other common ingredients not included in this recipe are pancetta, chicken stock, carrots, celery, rosemary and oregano.