Make Ahead

Helen's Pasta Faggioli

by:
February 24, 2019
0
0 Ratings
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This is a recipe that was given to me by my next door neighbor. many years ago. She was an elderly Italian woman named Helen who always knocked on my door to feed me and my young son when life was tough for us. When I asked Helen for her delicious pasta faggioli recipe that she always sent over, she just gave me the ingredients with no measures! It was a pinch of this and a little of that just like my grandmother's recipes. So I had to figure out the taste of the dish for myself. Over the years, I have made this dish dozens of times adding and subtracting the amounts of the ingredients. I finally arrived at a recipe that works for my taste buds. I like to add a bit up red pepper flakes to spice it up a bit at the end. When my son, who is now an adult, get together and reminisce about Helen, her Pasta Faggioli dish is always the star in our conversation! —Diane

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 6 pieces Pepperoni slices cut up or 3 strips of cut up raw bacon)
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 1 Medium yellow onion
  • 1 Garlic clove, diced
  • 8 ounces Can of tomato sauce
  • 8 ounces Water
  • 2 15.5 oz. cans of cannellini beans with liquid
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces Spaghetti broken into 3rds or other small pasta
  • Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Directions
  1. • Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat • Sauté pepperoni in the olive oil for 2 minutes or until a little crisp • Add the diced onion & garlic to the pepperoni & sauté another 2 minutes • Add tomato sauce, water, beans, salt & pepper • Cook 30 minutes, lowering heat and stirring occasionally • Boil a pot of water for the spaghetti or whatever pasta you are using. Add a bit of salt to the pasta water. Break spaghetti into small pieces. Cook as directed on package and drain reserving about a cup of the pasta water. • Add to beans & eat! ** Add spaghetti water to beans if soupy consistency is favored.
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