Pasta e Fagioli
The humble cranberry bean
reigns supreme in Italian cooking especially in the classic Pasta e Fagioli
alla Veneziana. Not to be confused
with the pinto bean, which has a different taste, texture, and darker color,
cranberry beans have a special quality that makes them highly sought after.
When cooked, they are much larger than the dried variety and provide more
beanlike creaminess to the dish. They are difficult to find, so you can imagine
my joy when they appear at the Davis Farmers Market at the beginning of summer!
Only one vendor sells them and for a short period of time between the beginning
of August to the beginning of September. With this small window of time in
mind, I buy five, six pounds at a time and start freezing them so I have enough
to carry me through the winter. Each bean is unique. When you open the pod, you
may find pearly white beans with a few delicate striated red marks on them, or
you may find entirely red ones. Holding them in your hand they are smooth and
pearly.
You will find them in an astonishing variety of preparations – some
unusual – such as calamari and fagioli, or short pasta such as farfalle with a sauce made with beans and zucchini. Sounds
strange, but it does work! I love them cooked in a tomato sauce with sausage
served over polenta. The most classic dish, of course, is Pasta e Fagioli,
the queen of soups - la regina delle minestre, whose origin is from the region of Veneto where my
mother’s family originated. Pasta e fasioi as I heard my mother call it in Venetian dialect, is a simple, hearty
soup whose greatness relies on the beautiful texture and creaminess of the
cranberry bean.
The recipe I have to offer
has several options because Pasta e Fagioli, like many Italian dishes, is homegrown – every
home cook has a special variation depending on the ingredients at hand. I
hardly ever make it the same way every time, depending on my mood!
Ingredients:
3 lbs. cranberry beans
(fresh and unshelled) or 2lbs. dry (soak the night before)
1 medium sized onion or
1-1/2 cups onion
1 carrot (optional)
1-2 stalks celery
1 potato
½ - ¾ C
guanciale or…
cotiche (outside fat of prosciutto or the heel) (optional)
1 sprig of fresh rosemary,
chopped (optional)
1 Tbl. tomato concentrate
from a tube (optional)
2 quarts chicken stock or 2
dadi (Knorr bouillion
cubes) - (optional)
1 cup (or 2-3 handfuls)
ditalini pasta (or any small pasta
like pennette) or
fresh egg pasta such as
maltagliati.
1 Tbl. olive oil
1 Tsp. salt
Freshly grated parmigiano
or grana gratuggiato to taste
There are two ways to begin – one, a freddo – or cold method, in which you put the shelled and
washed fresh or soaked beans in a stockpot with the onion and other ingredients
of choice including the potato (but not the pasta!), cover it with water or
stock, and let it cook for about an hour or until cooked through, the stock has
reduced and beans are tender. This method is fast and produces good results. I
often cook this way when I don’t want to spend too much time messing around
with the ingredients and I’m short on time.
 |
| Before I added the water |
The other day, feeling more
patient, I used the other method which begins by sautéing the tris of
vegetables in olive oil. The results were, I must say, exceptional!
1. Prepare the ingredients.
Shell the fresh beans, wash and set them aside. If you are using dry beans,
soak them the night before, then drain and rinse them for use. Dice the onion,
the carrot, and the celery and set them aside. Sometimes I don’t use carrot and
celery – these are optional, but do provide depth of flavor. This time I didn’t
use rosemary because I didn’t want an “herby” flavor preferring to enhance the
flavor of the bean with no masking.
2. In an 12 quart stockpot
or enameled cast iron pot, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil, move the
chopped onions, carrot, and celery to the pot and saute’ until slightly golden. Add the beans
and quickly give them a stir to pick up the flavors of the vegetables.
3. Cover the beans with
water or chicken stock, about 2-3 quarts. The liquid should cover the beans
with about 2 inches to spare. Peel and wash the potato and add it whole to the
pot. Bring the pot to a boil and add a tablespoon of tomato concentrate (this
is primarily to give some color – not absolutely necessary). Add salt – go easy
here if using bouillion cubes and guanciale.
4. Optional at this point
is the addition of the “meat.”
Most often I prefer to go vegetarian, but the most classic preparation
of Pasta e Fagioli is the
addition of the cotenna or cotiche, or outer fat or skin of a prosciutto. You can ask for
it in the deli section of a good grocer. I sometimes buy the heel (bone) of the
prosciutto and add it to the pot. This time, not having it, I used a chunk of
guanciale or jowl bacon cut in three pieces (about one and a half inch blocks)
and added these to the soup.
5. Lower the flame and
allow the soup to simmer covered for about an hour and a half. From time to
time, stir the pot to make sure the beans are not sticking on the bottom. As
the cooking comes to the end, the beans are cooked through and tender, take out
the potato and place it on a small dish. With the back end of a fork, mash it,
maybe adding a little broth to make it smooth, and return it to the pot. Cook
for another 10-15 minutes, then add the pasta.
6. I add the dry pasta by
hand, usually a handful at a time because I don’t want to add too much. Judge
it by the amount of liquid you have in the pot. The pasta will absorb quite a
bit. This time I had a fresh pasta sheet in the freezer, so I took it out, let
it defrost until it was malleable enough to manipulate. I lightly floured the
granite workspace and rolled the sheet until it was about an 1/8 of an inch
thick. I wanted a little heft to the pasta, giving it a rustic feel. I cut it
in long strips and then in diagonal shapes. These are known as maltagliati, meaning “poorly cut”!
Add these to the pot, cook
them stirring delicately until tender. Fresh pasta will absorb more than the
dry; if need be, add a little more water to give the soup a smooth consistency.
Correct the seasoning by adding salt if necessary. Cool the soup for about 10
minutes before serving.
7. Ladle into bowls with a
generous sprinkle of parmigiano. Heavenly…and even better the next day!
Serves 4-6. Pair with a red
wine.
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