Written by Eileen Leroux

I have tried this dish in many restaurants, but found none that beat this version.

PASTA FAGOLI

This recipe is an original. By that I mean I have put my own touches to it, creating my own version. There are several variations, but I feel my take on this dish is a little different. The original dish, from the boot of Southern Italy, required one type of bean. I, however, require three or four different types of beans. Many years ago I tried my version on my father-in-law. He was Italian from Southern Italy and he fell in love with this dish.

RECIPE

1 large yellow onion diced

3 cloves garlic chopped

2 stalks of celery diced

1 carrot diced

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 can white kidney beans

1 can red kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1/2 lb of small elbow macaroni (of your choice, I like elbows)

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Place olive oil in a 4 quart Teflon pan and heat. Sauté onion, celery, carrot and garlic in heated olive oil, add a little salt and pepper. When onion is transparent, add beans (do not rinse beans as this adds more flavor to this dish). Add salt and pepper and enough water to cover beans. Add chopped parsley and a little more olive oil and salt/pepper to taste. When beans start to boil, decrease heat to medium low, cover and let cook 15 to 20 minutes. This insures incorporation of all flavors. Beans will be ready when pasta is done.

Cook pasta. When pasta is cooked drain (be sure to save about a cup of pasta water just in case dish needs more liquid). Place drained pasta into pot with beans. Gently stir and serve.

This dish serves 6 and can be served as a main dish with a salad and Italian bread. A wonderful and delicious cool weather dish.

BUON APPETITE