A satisfying pasta meal can be rustled up with just a few basic ingredients, such as pasta, oil, and herbs. However, to make it a wholesome and hearty dish, the inclusion of leafy greens and vibrant veggies is key. One culinary whizz takes this classic pasta recipe, known as ‘pasta e fagioli’, up a notch by incorporating a humble 40p pantry staple; beans.
Matt Webster from Seasoned Pioneers shared his scrumptious recipe, dubbing the dish “a hearty, healthy, vegetarian Italian soup” that “will hit the spot.” This affordable meal, which includes carrots, celery, garlic, beans, and pasta, is ideal for batch-cooking or saving leftovers for later enjoyment. It’s ready in a swift 40 minutes, allowing you to dine and tidy up all within the hour.
Method
Whipping up this authentic Italian dish is a breeze in three simple steps, though some preparation is needed beforehand.
Firstly, finely chop the kale and rinse the celery before chopping it into small pieces. Next, peel the carrots and dice them similarly to the celery, discarding the stalks.
Peel and dice the onion, chop the parsley, and mince the garlic. Set all these ingredients aside for later use and begin preparing the soup base.
In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Then swiftly add the onions, carrots, and celery, allowing them to cook for 10 minutes until they soften.
Next, introduce the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds until its aroma is released. Stir in the tomatoes until they start to bubble, then pour in the stock.
Add the water, bay leaves, oregano, and chilli powder, stirring everything together and letting it simmer.
Take 350ml of the liquid from the saucepan and blend it with a tin of cannellini beans until smooth.
Pour this blended mixture back into the saucepan along with the other tin of beans (left whole), the pasta, kale, and parsley. Allow it to cook for 20 minutes (or until the pasta is cooked) before serving.
