Pasta Fagioli
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
- 2 ribs celery, diced small
- 2 1/4 cups dried white beans, soaked overnight and drained
- 3 to 4 quarts chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3/4 pound small pasta, like orecchiette or elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 2 cups stemmed arugula, cut across into 1/4-inch-wide strips
- 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 18 1/4-inch-thick slices French baguette, about 1 inch in diameter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 red and 2 yellow bell peppers, roasted, peeled, cored and cut into thin strips
- 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 3/4 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- Basil-flavored olive oil (available at specialty food stores)
- To make the soup, heat the oil in a large saucepan.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the beans, 1 quart of broth and the water.
- Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the beans are soft, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Add 2 quarts of broth and season with the salt and pepper.
- Bring the soup to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
- Reheat before serving, adding more broth, if needed.
- Stir in the parsley and additional salt, if needed.
- To make the condiments, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Toss together the arugula, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, vinegar and salt.
- Set aside.
- Brush the bread rounds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan, place on a baking sheet and bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
- Pile on a plate.
- Place the arugula salad, peppers, pine nuts and olives in separate bowls.
- Ladle the soup into 6 bowls.
- Serve, passing the condiments, including the basil oil, separately.
olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, white beans, chicken broth, water, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, pasta, italian parsley, arugula, tomatoes, extravirgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, diameter, extravirgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, red, pine nuts, oilcured black olives, basil
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/5102 (may not work)