Morsa Family Pasta Fagioli
Pass the Fazool
This delicious Italian recipe is perfect for the chilly winter weather.
Food is the centerpiece of family life in an Italian-American household. Angela Morsa of Compass’ Morsa Moore Realty Team grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, the daughter of an Italian immigrant. Her mother, who was not Italian, learned how to cook Italian food from Angela’s Gram and aunts, and Angela is grateful that they passed those lessons down to her. The kitchen was the heart and soul of her family’s life for generations, and it remains that way today.
One of Angela’s favorite meals to cook in her kitchen is pasta fazool—an Italian comfort food otherwise known as pasta fagioli. This home-cooked version is a hearty, deeply satisfying pasta dish with meat and beans. And, of course, it’s best accompanied by a good loaf of bread.
Morsa Family Pasta Fagioli (or Pasta Fazool)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 - 6 oz cans of tomato paste
2 (14 oz) cans of Cannellini beans, drained & lightly rinsed
40 oz of water to start - you will add more from the pasta water later
1 lb of ground beef (if desired)
1 lb of ditalini pasta
Directions:
To make the gravy, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook about 5-7 minutes until translucent. Reduce the heat and add the tomato paste and heat, stirring constantly until fragrant. Be careful not to burn. Add the water and drained kidney beans and season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer on low.
In a frying pan, season the ground beef with garlic salt and cook until browned. Drain and add to the gravy.
In a separate pot, cook the ditalini according to the package directions, minus a few minutes as they’ll finish cooking in the gravy. Save a few cups of the cooking liquid as you will need it to thin out the gravy. Drain and add to the gravy. Let cook another 5 minutes or so until all the flavors meld together.
Serve with your favorite crusty Italian bread and enjoy!
Morsa Moore Realty Team
Angela Morsa & Rick Moore
Realtors®
homes@morsamooreteam.com
M: 215.327.9097
O: 610.822.3356