Pasta e Fagioli

Date Completed: 1/19/2023

This cozy recipe comes from the Everybody Loves Italian chapter of The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook.

We made this last fall but for whatever reason didn’t document it. When we decided to make it again, I thought we had used an online recipe the first time. We searched through several ATK cookbooks and didn’t find it. Finally we checked the Cook’s Country book and there it was. I had even put a post it note on the page with a few comments!

Garrett had wanted to make this for over a year. I wasn’t quite as sure about it but we tried it anyway!

It’s a fairly simple recipe, but I like that it has a mirepoix base with tomato paste rather than just all tomatoes and beans.

Garrett had recently peeled all of our garlic and put it in a bag in the freezer. He saw this trick on Barefoot Contessa and wanted to try it. So far I’m a big fan! I’ve tried the store bought garlic paste, but it freaks me out that it has so many ingredients. I also really hate peeling garlic - so sticky and frustrating!

Taste Report:

So many textures! The beans, the pasta, the vegetables, the pancetta. So good!

Very homey. Very basil-y which made me happy on a rainy winter day because basil is so summery to me.

I love how creamy this dish is! It’s quite thick - most of the liquid boils off.

We paired this with homemade artisan bread. Garrett grilled slices of it. The char added a great smoky flavor.

I just wondered if I should have browned the pancetta first. Adding it at the same time as the vegetables meant it steamed more than anything. I think it would have better flavor and texture if it was browned so that’s something I’ll try next time!

Mess Report:

I felt like this made such a big mess because we were using the entire island countertop! Any recipe with a lot of chopped vegetables tends to feel like an explosion in the kitchen.

Overall, it really did not require many dishes. We were able to get it all cleaned up in no time.

This will make a no-mess lunch and will freeze for another round of dinners. Love it!