Creamy Pasta e Fagioli

This version of this Italian classic has become a soup that I literally crave. It appears on our table more often than I care to admit. It’s simple, packed with nutrients and absolutely dreamy to eat.

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredient List:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 whole clove fresh garlic
• Pinch crushed red chili flakes
• ¼ red onion, diced
• Sea salt
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 cup diced or crushed canned tomatoes
• ½ cup chickpeas, white beans or a mix of the two, rinsed well and soaked for 1 hour
• 2 ½ cups spring or filtered water
• 1 cup uncooked small-ish pasta, like fusilli, penne or rigatoni
• 2-3 sprigs fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

Step By Step Instructions:

Place a small amount of olive oil in a medium soup pot with whole garlic clove over medium heat. Allow the garlic to simmer in the oil until it begins to color at the edges. Remove the garlic and discard. Stir in onion, a tiny pinch of salt and cook, stirring until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in celery and carrot, a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until coated with oil. Add tomatoes. Drain the beans well and add to the soup pot. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until beans are tender, about an hour.

When the soup is 80% cooked, bring a small pot of water to the boil and cook pasta al dente, 7-8 minutes. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.

When the soup is cooked, season lightly with salt and using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy.

To serve, ladle the soup into 2-3 bowls; mound cooked pasta in the center of the soup; sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with olive oil. Serve hot.