Pasta è Fagiole è Scarola -- Soup with Beans, Bow Ties and Escarole
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Author Notes: I lived in the Italian North End of Boston for six years. During that time I came to think of food in the Italian manner – shopping daily and formulating my menus from what was best in the market. This soup is typical of those dishes I developed during that time. In order to make this centerpiece soup, you will need to have a great-quality chicken stock on hand. To complete the meal, all it takes is a fabulous loaf of Italian-style crusty bread and a bottle of delicious Barbera d’Asti. Buon Appetito! - ChefJune
Makes 8 main course or 12-16 starter servings
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pound (shelled) fresh shell (Cranberry) beans (or 1 pound dried white beans, soaked overnight)
- 1/2 pound prosciutto end piece, chopped (bribe it from your Italian deli man!)
- 4 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/3 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 16 fresh basil leaves, torn
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 pounds fresh escarole, chiffonaded
- 1 pound farfalle (bowties)
- a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for grating
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until limp and translucent.
- Add everything else but the escarole to the onion mixture. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour over medium heat. [You could make the soup a day ahead up to this point.]
- Add 2 pounds escarole, shredded. Bring back to the boil and turn the heat off.
- Just before serving, cook 1 pound of farfalle (bowties) separately. Add to hot soup. Serve with grated Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese to sprinkle on top.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Cheap Feast
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Noodle Soups
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Lettuce
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Greens
Tags: savory, seasonal, serves a crowd
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3 months ago lapadia
This is my favorite soup and I could happily eat ChefJune’s recipe the rest of my life. It is perfect as written, an overnight affair if you are soaking the beans; a quick sauté of onion and garlic before adding the stock, beans, Italian herbs and prosciutto, simmer for an hour, all the while filling your kitchen with a wonderful, fragrant, Italian aroma! During this time, the escarole is prepared and the pasta, farfalle – commonly known as little bowties is cooked and to be added in intervals before serving and topped with cheesy goodness = Parmigiano or Pecorino. Whether you call it fagiole or fazool, which is what my family called it, it’s all the same, pasta with beans soup, a warm-your-soul kind of peasant Italian dish!
3 months ago lapadia
PS - For the record...I happily tested this recipe and sent my review (above) to the editors, on time. BTW.
4 months ago lapadia
Mangia!!