Cooking Lesson #248: Instant Pot Pasta E Fagioli

… from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? Some soups wear well all year ‘round, and in my book, Pasta e Fagioli is definitely one of those soups. It’s nourishing, comforting and oh so delicious!
 
Pasta e Fagioli is a classic peasant soup loaded with veggies and pasta and Italian flavors! Best of all my recipe is made in an Instant Pot and ready in only 30 minutes from start to finish!
 
Pasta e Fagioli translates to “pasta and beans.” Pasta and beans may not sound terribly enticing (unless you're me and the whole country of Italy, as well as New York City, New Jersey and Philly), but I assure you that this Italian stew is truly irresistible from the aroma to the taste. Lots of aromatics, crushed tomatoes, fresh parsley and Tuscan kale turn pasta and beans into a hearty meal-in-a-bowl. At 199 calories for 12 ounces you have a meal with very low calories.
 
The Italian Bean soup with pasta has very old roots. Since the time of the Roman Empire, it was common prepare Pasta e Fagioli with the only variety of beans known at that time—black-eyed peas imported from West Africa.
 
Pasta e Fagioli as we know it today comes with the discovery of America, and the importation of the American beans which started in the early years of the 15th Century. The Pope Clement VII (born Giulio de’ Medici) introduced the new beans in 1528, in Tuscany and the Papal States, then in Veneto where the Pietro Valeriano started the plantation of beans in the countryside around Belluno.
 
In the beginning, the “new” American beans like Borlotti or Cannellini were exclusively served on the tables of rich people and nobles, while the poor and working class kept eating the black-eyed peas. Over the years, the use of the black-eyed peas fell into disuse, and now in almost all regions of Italy Pasta e Fagioli is prepared with the American beans. Read on to the ChefSecret to learn how to take this great soup to the next level.

 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  4 minutes
Natural release time:  15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
 
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or hot sauce
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped or 1/4 teaspoon if dry
2 bay leaves
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
5 ounces dry pasta such as shells, gemelli, or elbow macaroni
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes (do not drain)
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
Garnishes: chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese
 
Directions

1. Turn your Instant Pot to the SAUTE setting.
2. Add the olive oil to the cooking kettle and let it heat for a minute or so until it shimmers; add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Stir and sauté for about 1 minute until the onion softens a bit.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (except the garnishes) to the Instant Pot and stir.
4. Close the lid and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 3 MINUTES.
5. Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 15 minutes. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.
6. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

ChefSecret: 

• Take a pot of Pasta e Fagioli to the next level by adding hot Italian sausage. Using a pound of sausage scoop 1 ounce balls and sauté before you add the onions and such, then follow the rest of the directions. It turns a meal into a feast.
  
• If you don't have an Instant Pot you can still make Pasta e Fagioli! Follow the same instructions by adding the ingredients to a soup pot, bring it to a boil and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked to your preference.
  

 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I finally understand why pets try to run out the front door when it’s open—me, too!”
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