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food bites

Warming Up Your Winter the Italian Way

By Angela Capelli

The holidays are now behind us and the cold winter months are here. I have a recipe that will warm up the whole family and give you something to look forward to at the end of a long winter day. This Italian soup is ages old and remains popular in many local Italian restaurants. I think it’s a great way to get your kids to eat beans which are very high in lean protein and fiber, not to mention all of the other great ingredients that are also full of vitamins and minerals. Another bonus is that you can feed your whole family for pennies with this meal, just add some warm crusty bread and a fresh tossed salad.

If you feel daunted by the idea of cooking dry beans then by all means use canned beans, just remember to drain and rinse them while adding about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the soup. You will need two cans of beans for this recipe. Another tip for the picky eaters in your family is to add extra pasta; kids always love the noodles and sauce. To make the soup a little bit creamy, put about two cups of the cooked or canned beans into the blender or food processor before adding to the soup.

Pasta Fagioli

• 1 quart box low sodium chicken broth

• 1 sweet yellow onion finely chopped

• 1 lb. dry canellini beans (Wegmans)

• Freshly grated parmigiano cheese

• 2-3 cups prepared marinara sauce

• 1 stalk celery finely chopped

• 1 shallot finely chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 cloves garlic minced

• 1 carrot finely grated

• 1/2 cup ditalini pasta

• Fresh basil

Soak beans overnight in bowl of water - be sure to cover them by a few inches. You will be surprised at how much they absorb. Drain and rinse beans in the morning. Add beans to a large stock pot and cover with water by about three inches. Bring to a boil and then simmer gently uncovered for about two hours or until soft. Sauté vegetables in about three tablespoons of olive oil until soft. Add chicken broth, marinara sauce and beans with their cooking liquid. Boil ditalini in a separate pot. Undercook the pasta by about 1 minute. Add pasta to beans. Let soup simmer slowly for a few more minutes and enjoy with lots of cheese and fresh basil. For some added zing, top with crushed red pepper flakes!

E-mail Angela Capelli at foodbites@curiousparents.com  with any questions, comments, suggestions or baking tips that you may have.