Pasta e Fagioli Soup, Carmine's Way

There are probably as many versions of pasta e fagioli as there are chicken noodle soup. I have a favorite recipe that I've made for years, but as I was leafing through my copy of Carmine's Family-style Cookbook, I saw a new version and decided to make it (with minimal revisions).

Servings:  7 (1 cup servings) at 3 SP each

1 cup dried cannellini beans
2 tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
4 slices Oscar Meyer center cut bacon, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
8 cups lower sodium chicken broth
1 small smoked pork neck bone
5 canned San Marzano plum tomatoes, drained
2 ounces dried ditalini pasta
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (OPT:  more for serving)

Directions:

Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 1 to 2 inches of cold water. Let the beans soak 6-12 hours, changing the water several times.

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the bacon and cook the mixture slowly until browned. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, oregano, rosemary, and Italian seasoning and saute for another few minutes. Add the stock and neckbone.

Drain the beans and add to the stock. Bring up to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes. Use your hands to crush the plum tomatoes into the pot. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup briskly for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are tender but not mushy.

Increase the heat, add the pasta, and boil the soup, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the pasta is done and the soup has thickened. Remove the neckbone, add the cheese, and serve.
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TASTE NOTES
I made this soup to serve later in the week since I know the flavors will continue to develop. That plan may or may not work because one taste has revealed that this is my new go-to pasta e fagioli. The soup is thick, rich, and deeply flavorful. It is still more of a bean soup than a tomato soup, which I love. Next time, I'll use fresh herbs, but this is a definite keeper.

MAKE IT SIMPLE PASTA E FAGIOLI FOR I HEART COOKING CLUBS

Soup appears in The Food of Love kitchen on a regular basis during the winter months. It is a filling, [mostly] healthy dinner option, and, during these hectic "I have absolutely no time" weeks leading up to the holiday, a simple way to put nutritious food on the table in the shortest possible time. Though I confess that holiday madness is greatly reduced (one perk of growing older), the impending holiday along with my part time job, volunteer work, and quilting pursuits does mimic old times when many more faces appeared around the holiday table and holiday baking  began the day after Thanksgiving.

Pasta e fagioli (pasta fazool for those in the know) is a favorite winter soup. There are many versions of this dish. I favor the "non red" versions. I dislike any tomato whatsoever in my bowl of pasta e fagioli. Forgive me, mom, but the family version has never been a favorite. In a nod to another family favorite (NOT mine), pasta e pisselli, mom would put peas and tomatoes in her version. Peas are second only to the dreaded Z on the list of vegetables that do not pass my lips.

I decided to give Giada's version of pasta e fagioli a try. The biggest difference in her version was her use of red kidney beans; I always use the white (cannellini). Giada's recipe from Food TV is here. My only changes were the use of ditalini pasta instead of elbows, the substitution of prosciutto for pancetta, and the addition of a coarsely chopped carrot for sweetness. I'll add more carrot next time.
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TASTE NOTES
From start to finish, this hearty soup meal was on the table in under 30 minutes. In fact, I made it in the morning, the better to have the whole day to finish up my student evaluations, visit with my sweet great-niece Isabelle, and get to PT on time. Larry and I both enjoyed this version and agreed it was a nice change from the not-so-photogenic cannellini version. The 3 ounces of  pancetta wouldn't have added much fat, but I enjoyed the more delicate flavor of the prosciutto. Also, 3 ounces won't break the bank, but it's a nice little luxury. BTW, it's even better the next day--especially with some freshly baked ciabatta. Please hurry over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to see what other delicious time savers will save you from holiday madness.