Pasta and Bean Soup
(from Bethany’s recipe box)
Serves 6 to 8
If you cannot find hot Italian sausage, use the sweet variety and add 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the soup along with the garlic and rosemary in step 2. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Traditional pasta and bean soup recipes start by cooking dried beans for hours in either water or broth to create a rich, flavorful base. Because we wanted to streamline our Pasta and Bean Soup recipe by using canned beans and store-bought broth, we knew that we’d have to get a lot of flavor out of the meat and vegetables. To do this, we started our Pasta and Bean Soup with hearty and fully seasoned hot Italian sausage, which gave it just the right amount of meaty, spicy flavor. Sautéing the vegetables in the sausage drippings (along with a bit of oil) built even more flavor. A can of diced tomatoes tasted better, and required less effort, than fresh tomatoes, since the juices had a bright flavor. To create body, we pureed half the beans with a portion of the broth prior to cooking—this gave a thick, creamy texture without the hassle of pureeing hot soup in a blender. Cooking the pasta separately before adding it to the soup at the end of cooking prevented the pasta from absorbing too much liquid and becoming bloated.
Source: Cook's Country April/May 2008 (CC and CI collection)
Categories: Soups and Stews
Ingredients
- 2 (16-oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 ounces hot Italian sausage, castings removed, (see note) (about 2 links)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup ditalini pasta or other small pasta shape
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
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Purée half of beans and 2 cups broth in food processor or blender until smooth; set aside. Cook sausage in large pot over medium-high heat, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain sausage on paper towel-lined plate.
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Add oil and onions to fat in pot and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, remaining whole beans, remaining broth, puréed bean mixture, cooked sausage, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatoes and onions are very soft, about 15 minutes.
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About 10 minutes before soup is done, bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon salt and pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, then add to soup. Stir in basil and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Serve. Make Ahead: Soup can be refrigerated for 3 days, but do not add pasta. Store pasta and soup in separate containers and combine just prior to serving.