Pasta e fagioli
Prep
20 mins
Cook
9 hrs
Servings
8
Difficulty
Hard
This is my go to comfort food when I want something hearty and deeply satisfying without breaking the bank. Pasta e fagioli is the kind of rustic Italian dish that feels like a warm hug in a bowl, and the best part is how economical it is to make. Dried beans are incredibly affordable and packed with fiber and plant based protein, so you're getting serious nutrition for very little money. The long, slow cooking time means you can mostly leave it to simmer away while you get on with other things, and the result is a thick, creamy soup where the beans break down into the broth and create their own wonderful sauce. It's pure comfort on a budget.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 200 gdried borlotti or cannellini beans soaked for 6-8 hours
- 12 onions cut into 1cm chunks
- 2 mediumcarrots cut into 1cm chunks
- 13 celery stalks(cut into 1cm chunks)
- 2 tbspextra virgin olive oil plus extra to serve(optional)
- 14 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 litrefresh vegetable stock
- 400 gcan plum tomatoes
- 2 tbspbrown rice miso
- 16 rosemary sprigs
- 14 bay leaves
- 150 gditaloni rigati or other small pasta shapes
- 200 gcavolo nero stalks finely chopped and leaves torn
- 30 gvegan parmesan grated(to serve (optional)
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Drain the beans and bring to the boil in a pan of salted water. Cook for 10 mins, drain, rinse and put in a slow cooker with the onions, carrots and celery.
- 2
Stir in the olive oil, garlic, stock, tomatoes, half a can of water and the miso. Tie the herbs together with kitchen string and add these as well. Season. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs, until the beans are cooked through and all of the veg is really tender.
- 3
Remove and discard the herbs and stir in the pasta. Cover and cook on high for another 30 mins. Add the cavolo nero stalks and leaves and cook for a final 30-40 mins, or until the pasta is cooked through and the greens are tender. Serve scattered with the cheese and drizzled with a little more olive oil, if you like.
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