…bringing home to the table…
…between full-time school & attempting to caffeinate the masses in the nicest way possible, a girl can get sick & tired… when there are no free moments, & no relaxation time you just have to make them for yourself……so when this girl is stressed she ends up cooking…after my third day in a row traversing to manhattan for classes & exhibits to scribe endless papers on, I decide to make a comfort dish that would make me feel at home…I called my mom before I had even set foot off the train to find out exactly how to bring home to me…
…My grandma and mother always made our family pasta fagioli on chilly winter nights…it was easy to prepare, hearty & tasty, & whenever we ate it, I always knew I was loved… on this particular evening I was feeling a bit cranky when I was compelled to try making this for the first time…
…Recipe is as follows courtesy of my adorable mother…though I may have added a few tiny changes…
…Sautee 1 very finely chopped medium yellow onion & 1 cup finely chopped celery
Once the onion & celery have cooked until translucent, add 3 cups crushed tomatoes & 2 cups of water. Add 1 cup of fresh basil, & season to your taste with sea salt & fresh ground black pepper…Simmer for about 15 mintues & keep watch, making sure to stir frequently…
Add 2 cups cannellini beans & 1 cup of red kidney beans…you can buy them dried & cook them, but I prefer the convenience of canned beans for this recipe…especially if you are under the weather, you want a fast & easy remedy…
…while this is stewing away, start a boiling pot of salted water to cook 2 cups of pasta…ditalini is usually the go-to pasta for this dish, but I used what I had in the apartment, which was organic whole wheat penne & it worked out just fine.
Make sure the pasta is cooked al dente! It will continue to cook a bit once it is added to the soup.
When the pasta is ready, drain , but save 1 cup of the starchy, salty water…Add the pasta & the reserved pasta water to the soup…just give it a last sweeping stir & it is ready to serve…Generously grate Parmigiano on top & serve with a crusty hunk of Italian bread on the side…
