Soup has been the number one food in my diet lately. I have been fighting a bacterial infection since two Sunday’s ago. Once everything I ate tasted like metal, I knew something was up, and went to my doctor A.S.A.P. The first prescription was a no-go. I had migraine headaches straight from the pits of hell, and my appetite was nowhere to be found. It’s a cruel world; first taking away my tastes buds, then taking away my appetite. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to finish off this prescription without dying of starvation first. I called my doctor’s office and had them switch my meds. On the new meds now, I still have the typical side effects of antibiotics but not near the extent I had on the other prescription. During this time there were a couple of new recipes I wanted to try but I thought, what’s the point? I can’t taste anything anyway. So I decided to make some of my old favorites, since I already know what they taste like. I made this Pasta e Fagioli twice since I have been sick. And thought it might be a good time to give it a little update since the first time I posted this recipe back in 2012.
I’ll be honest, I am a little biased with this Pasta e Fagioli. This is the first recipe I’ve had for it. And I loved it so much the first time I tried it from Giada de Laurentiis’ Cookbook Giada’s Family Dinners, that I haven’t tried any other recipe for Pasta e Fagioli. I’m a little afraid of being disspointed. This recipe is on regular rotation in my house and I think it will be in yours too. Give it a try and tell me what you think. And what’s your favorite soup to eat when you’re sick
Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 large fresh rosemary sprig
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 ounces pancetta or organic bacon, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups reduced sodium organic chicken broth
- 2 (14 ½ oz.) cans organic red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup elbow macaroni or ditalini
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Wrap the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it with kitchen twine.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and sauté until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet.
- In a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup of the soup until smooth, then return the puree to the saucepan. Cover and return the soup to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni, cover and boil, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender but still firm, about 8 minutes.
- Season the soup with pepper.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Notes
All nutrition information is approximate and will change according to ingredient brands used.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 436Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 1125mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 33gSugar: 5gProtein: 32g
