Shelly's Recipe

PASTA FAGIOLI

Category: Soups

8 oz (1 cup) dried cannelloni or great northern beans or 3 cups canned beans, rinsed and drained
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped fresh tomatoes or canned Italian peeled tomatoes
1 tsp tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 small pepperoncino, crumbled, or pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt
8 oz ditalini or spaghetti or other pasta broken into 1 inch pieces

If using dried beans, put them in a bowl with cold water to cover by 1 inch and let stand at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Add more water if necessary to keep beans covered.

Drain beans; place them in a pot with fresh water to cover by 1/2 inch. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Cover pot and cook until beans are very soft, about 1 hour. Add more water if needed to keep beans just covered. (You can substitute 3 cups canned beans, rinsed and drained.)

When beans are almost ready, cook celery and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. When garlic is golden, discard it. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, pepperoncino and salt to taste. Simmer 10 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Add beans and their cooking liquid, or canned beans, to the tomato sauce. Bring mixture to a simmer, mashing some of the beans with the back of a large spoon.

Stir in pasta and cook, stirring often, until pasta is al dente, tender yet still firm to the bite. Mixture should be very thick, but add a little boiling water if it seems to thick. Turn off heat; let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8