Fagioli Alla Mugnaia Recipes

Steps:

• Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet. Puree 1 cup of the bean mixture in a blender until smooth*. Before putting the puree back into the soup, add the macaroni and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Return the puree to the remaining soup in the saucepan and stir well. Season the soup with ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Steps:

• Sort, rinse and soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover them by two inches. Alternatively, quick-soak the beans by boiling them for 5 minutes in the same amount of water. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for an hour.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the garlic until it is golden brown. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon. Add the chopped onion to the oil and saute gently until soft but not browned. Add the chopped tomato and rosemary and cook gently for 2 minutes.
• Drain the beans and put them into a large, heavy pot together with the sauteed ingredients. Add 5 cups of water and 5 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat until the liquid barely simmers, using a metal heat dispersion plate if necessary. Cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beans are tender but not mushy.
• Strain the cooked beans, reserving the liquid. Puree half the beans in a food processor or grind them through the finest disk of a food mill.
• Return the pureed beans and 2 1/2 cups of cooking liquid to the pot and stir to combine. Add the cooked whole beans and correct the seasonings, adding salt and pepper if desired. Cover the pot and adjust the heat so the soup barely simmers.
• Cook the noodles in rapidly boiling water until barely tender. Drain.
• Divide the noodles among the individual soup bowls, reserving half if second helpings are to be served. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles and serve at once.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute carrot, celery and onion until soft. Add garlic and saute briefly. Stir in tomato sauce, chicken broth, pepper, parsley and basil; simmer for 20 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ditalini pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Add beans to the sauce mixture and simmer for a few minutes. When pasta is done, stir into sauce and bean mixture.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook celery, onion, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt in the hot oil until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add pasta and cook 10 minutes, until pasta is tender.
• Add undrained beans and mix well. Heat through. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook the celery, carrots, onion and garlic until they're tender.
• Stir the broth, Italian seasoning and tomatoes in the skillet. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
• Add the pasta and beans and cook for 5 minutes.
• Place half of the broth mixture into a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour the pureed mixture into the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is hot.