Pasta Fagioli
Pasta fagioli is one of my favorite soups to make, it’s comforting and tastes oh so delicious! It literally translates in Italian to pasta and beans. It is pretty simple to make and you can toss whatever small dried pasta you have around into it. The smallest pasta I had was macaroni, so I added that to mine. You can also add meat to your soup if you wish, such as italian sausage, pancetta, or bacon but I left meat out of mine. You can also add parmesan cheese once you plate your dish. I tried a vegan parmesan recipe, that came out tasting very much like parmesan cheese! More on that later.
Let’s break down the nutritional benefits of this yummy dish!
First up the veggies… carrots, onion, and celery. When these 3 veggies are sauteed in a pan, they bring the most wonderful aroma into the kitchen. It reminds me of Thanksgiving, comfort, and my mom’s home cooking all at the same time! It’s a great base for a lot of soups. Carrots are a great source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium, and B vitamins. The beta carotene in carrots converts into vitamin A in the body which helps promote good vision. Celery is a good source of antioxidants, reduces inflammation, helps with digestion, rich in vitamins A, K, and C, and contain minerals like potassium and folate. Onions surprisingly have multiple health benefits! They are high in vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, and potassium. They also can benefit heart health by their strong anti-inflammatory properties (quercetin - an antioxidant) which can reduce high blood pressure and protect against blood clots. Garlic, like onions, belong to the allium vegetable family which has been linked to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, reduces the risk of certain cancers, and can help protect against the common cold. The health benefits of garlic have been recognized for a very long time. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates would prescribe garlic to his patients for a variety of medical conditions. Hippocrates had it right from the very beginning when he said “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” This quote should be in every hospital cafeteria, in my opinion. Just a friendly reminder to all of us :-)
Ok, back from the history lesson and onto beans! I used great northern beans in this recipe. Great northern beans are full of protein and fiber. A half cup of these beans contain 8.3 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber. They also contain folate which helps increase red blood cell production, phosphorous and manganese which boost nervous system and brain health, and they are also a good source of iron, copper, magnesium, and thiamin. Great northern beans are legumes and several studies have linked a high consumption of legumes to decreased mortality and longer healthy life spans!
In this recipe I added thyme for seasoning in the soup. Herbs are a great way to add different flavors and aromatics to different meals. You could also use rosemary or add parsley for freshness. Herbs offer different health benefits as well! Thyme is loaded with vitamins and nutrients. It contains vitamin C, A, B6, iron, calcium, magnesium, and manganese. All which help prevent colds, flu, and other bugs by improving our immune system. With all these common ingredients that boost our immune system, no wonder why soups always seem so good when we are feeling under the weather!
Now onto the fun part… let’s get cooking!
Pasta Fagioli
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and small diced
2 stalks of celery, small diced
5 cloves of garlic
2 (15 oz.) cans of Great Northern Beans
1 (15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
32 oz. Vegetable Broth
3 sprigs of Thyme
1 1/2 cups of small pasta (ditalini, shells, macaroni, etc.)
salt and pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper
In a large pot or dutch oven heat oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, sauteing for about 5 minutes until softened.
Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Add in the great northern beans (with their liquid), diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and sprigs of thyme. Increase to high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the pasta.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until the pasta is al dente. With the macaroni it took about 10 minutes. Then add in a pinch of crushed red pepper if you like for some spice and salt and pepper as needed to your taste.
Before serving, remove the sprigs of thyme. Add soup to a bowl and sprinkle with vegan parmesan or parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
I was inspired by this recipe from Delish but made some adjustments to turn it into my own!
