Pasta Fagioli

This classic Italian pasta and bean dish is irresistibly good and cheap! Children especially love it. You can speed up cooking time by preparing beans in a pressure cooker.

Preparation facts

Cooking Time: 2 hrs

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 min

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup (180g) dried kidney beans

6 cups (1.4L) water

1 tsp (5mL) olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cups (490g) tinned stewed tomatoes

1 tsp (6g) salt (sea salt if on a corn-free diet*)

8 oz (230g) pasta elbows, shells or macaroni

3 Tbs (8g) fresh basil, chopped, or 1 Tbsp (6g) dried basil

Directions

Soak beans overnight. Drain off soaking water, rinse beans and drain again. Put soaked beans into a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours until beans are tender. Drain excess liquid, leaving just enough to make a gravy-like sauce.

Sauté onions, garlic, carrots and green pepper. Add vegetables, tomatoes and salt to beans and simmer 20 minutes.

In a separate pot, bring 2 quarts (1.9L) of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse well. Gently stir pasta and basil into the beans and serve

* Allergy notes: People following a corn-free diet should avoid iodized salt since it contains dextrose, which should be avoided by those allergic to corn.

Nutrition facts

Serving Size 1 serving

Calories 229

Calories from Fat 19 (8%)

% Daily Value*

3%Total Fat 2g

2%Saturated Fat 0.3g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

0%Cholesterol 0mg

46%Sodium 1105mg

19%Potassium 656mg

15%Total Carbohydrate 45g

31%Dietary Fiber 7.7g

Sugars 9g

Sugar Alcohols 0g

18%Protein 9g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.

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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.