Test Kitchen - Pasta e Fagioli

When last week's Test Kitchen ingredient of cannellini beans came around, you all were very vocal with your suggestions on Facebook. I loved it! It gave plenty of ideas but ultimately, my desire for a homestyle Italian dish won out so I went with Joe's awesome suggestion of pasta e fagioli. This recipe calls for a lot of tasty Italian flavors and sits somewhere between being a soup and a pasta dish. There isn't enough "soup" to make it a full one nor is there enough dryness to make it a pure "pasta" dish. Regardless of categorization, this was a tasty concoction that we made a bit spicy with red chile flakes.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 6-8 servings)

olive oil
2 small carrots, 1/4" dice
2-3 stalks celery, 1/4" dice
1 white onion, 1/4" dice
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp red chile flakes
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp dried oregano
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4-5 medium Roma tomatoes, 1/4" dice
1/2 lb ditalini pasta (or any short pasta)
2 cans (15 oz) cannellini beans
1 tbsp freshly parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Step 2: Prepping the base
The ingredients portion is slightly self-explanatory. One of the most time-consuming tasks will be dicing your vegetables. When those are done, cover the bottom of a large pot with a thin layer of oil. Then add in carrots, celery, and onions (the mirepoix!). Stir around until onions start to turn translucent. Add in garlic, chili flakes, and all herbs. Heat long enough for chile oils to escape. Then add in broth.

Step 3: Making the "Soup"
Once the broth has boiled, add in tomatoes and pasta. Stir well with each addition. Cook pasta to just before al dente.

Step 4: Finishing
Add in beans and parsley. Stir in salt and pepper last; adjust to taste. Enjoy!

This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: fresh thyme
I've used dried thyme plenty of times but fresh? That wasn't really a possibility but Duc has been growing me an herb garden lately, and the thyme sprouted up very quickly. It started off small but rapidly showed its true colors as an invasive herb. It's time to cut it back down to size. Tell me on Facebook what you think I should do with it when the picture comes up!