Pasta e Fagioli

It is still quite warm in Kansas City, but fall is fast approaching.  One of my favorite things to do in the fall is make a hearty soup and have it with a salad and some nice bread for dinner.  Accompany that with a glass of really nice wine and it doesn't get any better than that.

Mario Carrate was a food broker in New York city and his father had an Italian restaurant on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.  We took Italian cooking classes from Mario way back in the early 80's.  All of his recipes were hand written and passed out to the class one by one.  It was a hands on class and we got to eat whatever we cooked at the end of class.  This recipe for pasta e fagioli, meaning pasta and beans, is one of my favorites from Mario.  As with a lot of Italian recipes this dish originated with the working class as an inexpensive one dish meal.  It is very tasty and filling.

Ingredients:(Serves 4)

1 TBSP olive oil
1 - 16 Oz. can un-drained cannellini beans
1/4 Lb.  dittalini or other short pasta
4 Oz. Pancetta (Italian Bacon) - chopped
1 medium onion - chopped
1 clove garlic - chopped
1 celery stalk - chopped
1 carrot - grated
1 pinch of chopped parsley
1 pinch rosemary - choopped
1 to 11/2 can chicken broth

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a soup pot.  Add the pancetta, onion, garlic, celery, carrot and rosemary.  Sauté for about ten minutes, or until vegetables are soft.  Add the chicken broth and simmer for around 30 minutes.  On another burner cook the pasta per package directions.  Drain pasta.  Add pasta and cannellini beans to broth.  If too thick add more chicken broth.  Simmer for about ten minutes and serve with grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil on the top of each bowl.