Pasta e fagioli

For years, the hit parade has come in all shapes and sizes, but Tal Maes’s recipe column in Elle Eten has been a bona fide hit since its launch in 2011. All these recipes, along with new ones, have now been collected in Elle Eten Hitparade. What about this pasta e fagioli, for example? It’s guaranteed to impress your sweetheart, your mother, your sister… Or, well: actually everyone.  

This Italian classic is sometimes as liquid as soup and sometimes as thick as a stew. You can make it with all kinds of pasta and pulses, and it is delicious both with and without meat. This version is thick and creamy, and made with fennel sausages.

Method

1                Cut open the skins of the sausages and remove the sausage meat. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion, garlic, celery, carrots and rosemary for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sausage meat and break it up with a wooden spatula. Fry the meat along with the vegetables for a few minutes.

2                Add the chopped tomatoes, approximately 750 millilitres of stock and the bay leaves, and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

3                Meanwhile, drain the beans and briefly rinse them under cold running water. Using a stick blender, purée about one-third of the beans together with a ladleful of liquid from the pan. Set the beans and bean purée aside for now.

4                Add the pasta to the tomato stock and increase the heat slightly. Depending on the type and size, cook the pasta for 15 to 20 minutes, or until al dente; stir regularly. The dish should be fairly soupy, so add another splash of stock if it starts to become too dry (larger pasta shapes require more liquid). Add the whole beans a few minutes before the end of the cooking time.

5                Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the bean purée and some grated Parmesan. Season with freshly ground pepper and, if necessary, a little salt. Divide the pasta between bowls and serve with extra cheese for sprinkling.

Tips

Canned beans are convenient, but you can also use dried beans if you like. Soak them overnight (8 to 12 hours) in cold water. Place the beans in a pan and add enough water to cover them by approximately 5 centimetres. Add a few bay leaves and sprigs of rosemary, but no salt. Bring the beans to the boil, lower the heat and cook them with the lid slightly ajar for approximately 1 hour; check occasionally whether they are already tender.

Instead of sausages, you can also use 100 grams of finely chopped breakfast bacon or pancetta. For a vegetarian version, cook in up to 1 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika for extra kick and flavour.

This pasta is also often made with chickpeas, in which case it is called pasta e ceci. Just as delicious!

You can prepare the pasta e fagioli up to and including making the tomato stock. Reheat the stock just before serving, then add the pasta and, a little later, the beans and bean purée.

Title: Elle Eten Hitparade
Author: Tal Maes
Publisher: Carrera Culinair
Price: €19.99