Kitchen Improv

Pasta e Fagioli Zuppa – Italian Bean & Pasta Soup

Whether it’s the dead of winter or the heat of summer, I love this bean and sausage soup. It all started when my good friend, Will, bought me this lovely box of a Christmas gift full of kitchen goodies. Not only did he pick an amazing, artisan-quality cheese board, he tossed in some gourmet dry bean soup mixes. One in particular was a Fagioli & Pasta mix. It was tasty, but as prepared I found it a bit thin and without a hearty body. Keep in mind it was a healthy and vegetarian recipe. I did, however love the combination of beans (I think there were four) but it inspired me to start over on my own to produce something healthy, yet so full of flavor that I’d want to recreate it for years to come. Here is my bean soup. Enjoy.

An Italian bean mix can be achieved a few different ways. If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to start from dry beans, use 1 15-oz can each of dark red kidney beans and white kidney beans (cannellini) drained and rinsed. Or, if you prefer to slow-cook your beans, use 1 cup each of these dry, or use a pre-measured, dry Italian mix. Whichever way you choose, you’ll ultimately have about two pounds of cooked beans. (If you’re not familiar with cooking dried beans, look here. It’s really not as complicated as it’s often made out to be.

Ingredients
1 lb spicy Italian sausage
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 stalk of fennel, peeled, split, and thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1.5 quarts chicken stock (not broth, grown-up, full-bodied STOCK.)
2 lbs cooked Italian bean mix, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can diced, stewed tomatoes
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaf (1/2 tsp dried)
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaf (1/2 tsp dried)
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaf, chopped (1/4 tsp ground)
1 tbsp fresh basil leaf, chopped (1/2 tsp dried)
2 dry bay leaves
1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped (1 tbsp dried)
1/2 tsp Tobasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Optional: 1 cup conghigliette (small shells) or ditalini (small, short tubes) pasta
Fresh julienned basil and shredded Parmesan cheese to garnish.

Method
In a large dutch oven, brown the sausage until cooked through. The sausage I buy tends to be lean, and I find I need to add 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Remove sausage from pan and set aside. In remaining oil, saute onions, carrots, and celery together with wine. As soon as the wine has evaporated, add the salt and sweat over medium heat for about 10 – 12 minutes. Add the zucchini and fennel and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the fresh herbs and saute another 2-3 minutes. Add sausage, mix thoroughly. Add chicken stock, beans, and tomatoes. Heat to a simmer, then turn to low heat and cover.

Cook 45 to 60 minutes. Near the end of cooking, add Tobasco if you prefer a bit more spice than the sausage provides. Add the pasta, cook until done. Serve garnished with fresh julienned basil, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and a side of thick, crusty Italian bread