Buzz

We have a treat for you, acclaimed New York City restaurantuer, Scott Conant
who is also a Food Network star on Chopped and the host of Chopped Sweets, is going to show us
how to makepasta e fagioli. The recipe is from his new cookbook, Peace, Love, and Pasta.

Pasta e Fagioli Recipe

1 cup (185 g) dried cannellini beans

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1 cup (195 g) dried borlotti (cranberry) beans

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

4 cups (110 g) chopped yellow or white onions (2 to 3 medium onions)

1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano

2 sprigs rosemary Kosher salt

8 ounces (225 g) prosciutto ends, skinned and cut into ¼-inch dice (optional)

1 (15-ounce/430 g) can puréed tomatoes

2 quarts/liters vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups (225 g) dried tubettini pasta

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for serving

Roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

SOAK THE TWO TYPES OF BEANS in separate containers overnight in 4 cups (960 ml) water per container.

The next day, set the container of borlotti beans aside. Drain the water from the cannellini beans and place them in a pot. Add water to cover, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender, 1 to 1½ hours. Drain the cooked cannellini beans and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sweat the onions with the thyme, crushed red pepper, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and a little bit of salt to help release acid from the vegetables, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook until the onions start to caramelize, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the prosciutto, if using, and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute, stirring to prevent the vegetables from burning. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Drain the soaked borlotti beans, add them to the pot, and continue to simmer the broth until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.

While the beans are cooking, cook the pasta in heavily salted water until tender. Drain the pasta, without rinsing, reserving the pasta water. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

When the borlotti beans are tender, add the cannellini beans and return to a simmer. Add half the pasta cooking water, return to a simmer, and cook for at least 40 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool slightly, then remove one-fourth of the beans from the pot and set aside. Using a slotted spoon transfer the rest of the cooked beans to a blender and purée until smooth. (Or purée the soup in the pot using an immersion blender.)

Combine the tubettini and reserved beans and divide among four or six bowls. Pour the soup over the pasta and beans and serve immediately, topped with chopped parsley, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a drizzle of olive oil. (The beans and soup can also be prepared the day before, refrigerated, and reheated, but you may need to add some additional stock, as the beans will absorb a lot of liquid as they sit. Do not add in the pasta before storing.