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Pasta e Fagioli

Total Time: 35 minutes
Active Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

• Salt
• 1 cup dried tubettini pasta (can substitute with ditalini, cochigliette or small maccheroni)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
• 10 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups reserved bean cooking liquid
• 2 cups cooked white beans such as cannellini or cranberry (see Tuscan-Style White Beans)
• 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated

Put salted water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Pasta will not be fully cooked. Drain and set aside. Blend ½ cup of the beans in a food processor and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Toss in the onions and turn the heat down to edium. Sweat the onions 3 to 4 minutes then Stir in the garlic, the rosemary, and sage, and let the mixture cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in the tomato paste and turn heat back up to medium. Cook the tomato paste until it caramelizes and melts in with the other flavors in the pot.

Thin the tomato paste with bean cooking liquid, add in 1 ½ cups of the beans and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pasta and the bean puree to the soup and simmer another 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Note: Traditionally, pancetta is included in Pasta e Fagioli to provide more intense flavor. If you want to include it, add in 3 oz. of diced pancetta with the garlic. If you prefer some heat, add a few dried red peppers when you put in the herbs.

-Adapted from Marco Canora, Hearth Restaurant