The other day Marlo pulled out some leftovers his mom had given him, pasta e fagioli, pasta with beans. I snuck a bite (having eaten earlier) and it was so good, even cold! I couldn’t get it out of my mind so I decided to make my own last night. I had made a pasta e fagioli dish before, but it was a soup, with a lot of broth and chunks of tomato. That wasn’t the dish I had in mind.
I wanted pasta with tomato sauce and white beans. Simple. I thumbed through a few recipes, some with potato, some with ground beef, some with carrots and celery and finally found a nice simple version that seemed like it would be very close to what I’d tasted. I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask his mom how she made hers.
It was in a book that has a surprising number of excellent recipes in it. When I first picked it up at the used bookstore many years ago, I saw all the pictures of movie stars and other celebrities in it and almost put it back down but then I read through a few recipes and decided to spend a couple of bucks. I’m so glad I did! The book is Eat This…It Will Make You Feel Better by Dom DeLuise. You can buy it on Amazon used for $6. There are lots of stories to go along with the excellent recipes. In addition the pasta e fagioli, I’ve made escarole soup, stracciatelle soup, spinach and potatoes in broth, Mamma’s meat sauce and many more. But I think this pasta e fagioli is my new favorite.
Dom’s Mamma’s Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves. minced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 8- oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 15- oz can cannellini beans, undrained
- 1/2 pound ditalini or elbow macaroni
- fresh parsley, chopped
- grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Put a pot of water on to boil and add some salt. When it comes to a boil, stir in the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook over medium low heat until golden.
- Add the beans and their liquid to the garlic and stir.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and water (add water to the can to get all the tomato sauce out!). Bring to a low simmer and cook about ten minutes.
- When the pasta is done, drain it and stir into the bean mixture. If it is thicker than you like, stir in a bit more water.
- Add the fresh parsley and serve with grated Parmesan cheese. You can also add some dried red pepper flakes.
Leftovers are good cold, as I first learned. Or you can reheat it over low with a little more water added.
Glad you found it! It should serve about 4.
Love this recipe. Had the cookbook and let someone borrow. How stupid to think it would be returned. Ha ha.
How many does this serve?
It’s one my favorites!
Love this recipe so easy as and delicious.
Now you’re making me hungry! The Hungarian paprika sounds like a good addition.
Ellen-
As the youngest of a first generation Italian family, my older sister gave me this book 30 years ago, when I wanted to learn my Mom’s recipes before they were lost. My sis promised me the Italian recipes would be authentic Amalfi coast, exactly the dishes I was brought up on.
This one is signature peasant Amalfi. Quick, filling and delicious. I’ve since had pasta e fagioli with carrots and chicken broth, for instance…good, but not the same. If you really want to kick it up a notch, try some Hungarian Paprika (my Publix carries it from McCormick). It’ll give you the heat of crushed red pepper but without the bite. Very savory.
I see a recipe in the first book for Diane’s Anise Cookies. Is that what you’re looking for? Looks like a typical biscotti recipe. 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 cup margarine, 1 cup sugar, 4 eggs and 1 Tablespoon anise extract.
Thank you so much for posting this! I used to have Dom Deluise’s cookbooks and used them all the time, but they were lost in a move. Do you happen to have his anisette cookie (or anisette toast) recipe? I’ve been looking all over! Thanks again.