Pasta e Fagioli

Now, this is good winter food. Warm and hearty, pasta e fagioli (pronounced 'pasta fashool'), or Italian pasta and bean soup/stew, is perfect for those cold nights that are on the way... I already made it twice in the last month. It is one of my favorite meals, and is pretty easy to make.

Which type of beans you use is up to you. Cranberry beans are ideal, but can be hard to find. I used pinto this time, but cannellini or kidney beans are good too. You can use either dried or canned beans. I like to use dried if I have them, as they tend to hold their shape better - canned beans can get a little mushy. If using dried beans, soak 1 cup in plenty of cold water overnight. The next day, boil them in salted water until tender (beginning to get soft, offering no resistance to your teeth when you bite into them), drain and set aside to cool until needed. If using canned beans, there is no prep to do the night before.

When you are ready to make the soup, start by cutting about 2 tbsp onion (about 1/4 of an average onion) into small dice. Splash a good glug of olive oil into a large heavy saucepan and saute the onion until it starts to color. Then add about 3 tbsp carrot (peeled and diced small) and 2 tbsp celery, diced small. Stir, and add a couple of slices of bacon or pancetta, cut into small dice (this is optional - I did it on one of the two occasions, but not on the time I took the picture above). Saute until the vegetables soften - about 10 minutes. Add 2/3 cup chopped canned tomatoes and juice, and simmer until cooked down. Add either your cooked dried beans or 3 cups of canned beans (you'll probably need more than one 14 oz can). Cook for a few minutes, then add 3 cups of broth (beef, chicken, vegetable or even plain old water). Bring it to a boil. Scoop out 1/2 cup of beans and either mash them or push them through a food mill back into the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning. Bring back to a boil and add 8 oz small tubular pasta (macaroni works, but I like ditalini even better). Keep boiling (stirring as you go) until the pasta is just done (a slight bite to it - don't allow it to get too soft), then switch off the heat and stir in 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp hard Italian cheese, grated (parmesan, romano or asiago - I like pecorino romano myself).

Allow the soup to cool a little before serving. This recipe will serve 2-4 people, depending on how hungry they are. Enjoy!

Note 1 - Recipe adapted from one in 'Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking' by Marcella Hazan.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 1 cup = 240 ml; 2/3 cup = 160 ml; 3 cups = 700 ml; 14 oz = 400 g; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 8 oz = 225 g.

Pesto

Ready for the freezer

I made pesto today. Had a big basil plant (complete with roots!) from the farm, plus we have a few small plants in our 'garden' (actually just a 4x4 foot raised bed, but home to zucchini, tomatoes, basil, parsley, peppers and brussels sprouts). I picked up good cheese (I was intending to buy Parmigiano-Reggiano, but they didn't have any, so I got Pecorino Romano, which was even better...) and pine nuts and I was ready to go.

The easiest way to make pesto is in a food processor. Start with about 4 cups of basil leaves. Put them in the processor bowl with 4 cloves of garlic and pulse until everything is nicely chopped. Scrape down the sides and add 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (place on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven for about 5 minutes) and up to 1/2 cup of grated hard cheese (preferably Romano or Parmesan). Pulse again until everything is chopped. Now remove the bowl from the processor, take out the blade, and stir in 3/4 cup olive oil, stirring until it is all mixed in. Taste and add salt if desired.

That's it! I immediately froze it in plastic freezer bags to use later (pesto freezes very well), but you could use it straight away. For simple pasta with pesto sauce, cook pasta in heavily salted water until done to your liking (do not rely on the timing on the side of the box - use it as a guide and check often by pulling a piece and tasting it). Remove the pasta from the water with tongs or a pasta spoon, putting it in a warm bowl. Do not throw out the pasta water! Add some pesto to the pasta in the bowl, stirring to combine. Now add a little pasta water (use a ladle or spoon) to thin the sauce to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Enjoy!

Note 1 - The olive oil is stirred in instead of processing it because the latter can result in a bitter flavor.

Note 2 - If you do not have a food processor, you can use a blender, or even a mortar and pestle (this last would be more authentic, but I prefer the food processor...).

Note 3 - Metric Info: 4 cups = 950 ml; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 350 F = 175 C; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 3/4 cup = 180 ml.

Goat cheese ravioli with a tomato sausage sauce

Served with broccolini (the sauce is underneath)

Haven't made pasta at home in a while, so I figured it was time to get back into it. My significant other loves goat cheese, and the sausage was something we had in the freezer that we felt like eating. Everything else just came together.

If you do not have a pasta roller of some description (either a hand-crank model, which I have, or a motorized one - you can get one that will attach to a Kitchenaid mixer), you will probably find it easier to purchase dumpling wrappers (try Nasoya brand, in the cooler near the tofu in most supermarkets).

To make the pasta dough, put 3/4 cup durum (semolina) flour (see notes if you cannot find this) and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour into a food processor with the blade attachment. Add 1 tsp salt and pulse briefly to mix. Add 2 eggs and 3 tbsp olive oil. Pulse until a firm dough forms. You may need to add a tablespoon or so of water to get it to come together. Remove the dough from the machine and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow it to 'rest' at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, start your sauce: Cut 2 small shallots into small dice and put in a medium saute pan with a little olive oil and some butter. Cook gently for a few minutes, then add 2 sweet Italian sausage links, cut into small pieces (we had some great lamb sausage from Willow Hill Farm, VT) and saute until well-browned. Add 1 garlic clove, minced, allow to almost color, and then add 3 fresh roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped. Increase the heat and allow the tomatoes to cook down into the sauce. Reduce the heat and continue until the sausage is cooked through. Add a little fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste. Set the pan aside.

Once the pasta has rested, remove the plastic wrap and cut the dough in half. Rewrap one half and refrigerate (you can use it to make a second batch of ravioli with a different filling, or some lasagna or noodles). Take the other half and roll with your pasta roller all the way to the thinnest setting (expect to end up with a few long pieces - you will probably have to cut it a few times). Dust the pieces of rolled-out dough with flour and, using a round cookie cutter or an upturned glass, cut rounds of dough. Set them out on a well-floured counter (or, if you are using dumpling wrappers, remove them from the packet and set out on a floured counter...) and quickly make the filling: Take 4 oz fresh goat cheese (I used Vermont Butter and Cheese chevre) and season with a little salt and pepper. Spoon small dollops of filling onto your rounds of dough, then wet your finger with a little water, trace around half the circle, and fold over carefully to form a half-moon, with the filling inside. Repeat with the rest of your filling. Dust your ravioli with flour and set aside.

Boil some salted water. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the ravioli and wait until they float, then cook for a minute or so longer. Remove with a slotted spoon or pour carefully through a strainer. Meanwhile, reheat your sauce with a little butter. Serve the ravioli with the sauce, plus a vegetable if you wish. We had broccolini with ours. Enjoy!

This recipe should be good for 3-4 adults, although if they are hungry, you might want to double the sauce.

Note 1 - If you do not have access to durum/semolina flour, you can use 100% all-purpose flour. You may need to adjust the consistency with a little water to get a smooth dough.

Note 2 - You can make the ravioli any shape you like. For instance, if you are using square wonton wrappers, you can make rectangular ones - just fold in half over the filling.

Note 3 - Any kind of savory sausage could work here, and it need not be lamb.

Note 4 - If you do not have fresh roma tomatoes, you can use canned plum tomatoes. Don't add too much of the sauce from the can.

Note 5 - Metric info: 3/4 cup = 180 ml; 4 oz = 110 g.

Pasta with Porcini Mushroom Cream Sauce and Crispy Kale

This was a very simple pasta and sauce recipe, made with my current favorite mushroom - porcini (also known as ceps or boletes).

I used dried porcini mushrooms (the most easily available kind). I added plenty of water to them in a saucepan and brought it to the boil, covered it. let it simmer a few minutes, then switched it off and let it stand, covered for a while (half an hour is good). I then strained them, saving the liquid and the mushrooms (although I did not use the reconstituted mushrooms here) separately.

I then cooked my pasta (I tried both egg noodles and angel hair with the sauce and much preferred the angel hair) until al dente. Meanwhile, I sauteed (cooked in fat over medium-high heat) a mix of fresh mushrooms in a pan with shallots and a little garlic. I used oyster mushrooms (another favorite), and king oyster mushrooms. I deglazed the pan with some sherry, allowing it to boil away, and then added some of my porcini 'stock', allowing it to simmer, then adding cream and finishing with a little cold butter. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with the drained pasta.

The kale can be cooked at the same time as the mushrooms and pasta. Melt butter in a pan. Add chopped kale (remove ribs) and a little salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and allow it to brown slightly, tossing it when it does so to expose all of it to the bottom of the pan. This results in crispy kale. If you prefer your kale wilted, follow the instructions for wilted swiss chard in the last post (but omit the stems). I served the kale on top of the pasta.