An old New Jersey favorite, with a few detours of my own.
I grew up mostly in New Jersey, about a 15-minute drive from the Holland and Lincoln tunnels into New York. I remember a wide variety of delicious food—Jewish, Greek, Italian, and Cuban, to name a few—but the mix changed over the years. There were always remnants of previous waves and new groups moving in—Chinese, Argentinian, and so on. All of which is to say, there was a lot of great food.
One of those dishes, pasta fazool—in Italian, it’s pasta e fagioli, meaning pasta and beans—popped into my head a few times over the last couple of weeks, so I decided to make some as a little surprise for the family.
I prefer making beans from scratch when I have the time, and it’s hard to argue with the fact that homemade chicken broth is much more flavorful than store-bought. But we work full time and get home tired, so a few shortcuts sometimes make the difference between a home-cooked meal and ordering takeout.
Traditional pasta fazool is usually a simple dish, sometimes meatless or flavored with a little pancetta or other cured pork. I decided to add some meat to mine, so I picked up one boneless top loin pork chop, two small chicken breasts, and some thick-cut bacon.
I also wanted a lighter-colored broth, with the white beans providing much of the flavor and texture, rather than a deep-red, tomato-heavy soup. Both are options, with regional variations found throughout Italy.
My family, having had no prior experience with pasta fazool before today, declared that it was the best pasta fazool they had ever eaten—though my wife found it a little spicy thanks to my addition of some Calabrian peppers. I’d never had them before, but that little jar looked so tasty I had to try them out.
Here’s what I used, but it’s flexible. Or you could try one of the dozens of traditional recipes online.
Pasta Fazool — à la Bert
A hearty, flexible version of New Jersey-style pasta fazool with cannellini beans, chicken, pork, peppered bacon, and just a touch of tomato.
Ingredients
- 8–16 ounces orecchiette pasta (or ditalini or another small pasta)
- 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups unsalted chicken broth, plus more broth or water as needed
- 3–4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 boneless top loin pork chop, cut into small cubes
- 2 small boneless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1/2–3/4 cup diced white onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh diced garlic
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon chopped Calabrian peppers to start (increase to taste)
- 1–2 tablespoons Italian-style diced tomatoes, with a little juice
- 1–2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
- About 1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1–2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano
- Fresh chopped parsley, for finishing
- Olive oil, if needed
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Start with the bacon. In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until it begins to brown and releases its fat. Remove it, leaving a little of the drippings in the pot.
- Brown the meats. Add the cubed pork and chicken in batches, browning them lightly, then set aside. They’ll finish cooking in the broth.
- Build the flavor. Cook the onion in the same pot until softened. Stir in the garlic and a small amount of Calabrian peppers; cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes. Stir in 1–2 tablespoons of diced tomatoes and a little juice. Add more if you prefer a redder broth.
- Bring everything together. Add the drained beans and chicken broth. Return the bacon, pork, and chicken to the pot. Mash a small handful of beans for a creamier broth, if you like. Simmer gently for about 10–15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Add broth or water if needed.
- Prepare the pasta. Cook the orecchiette separately according to the package directions until just tender, reserving a little pasta water before draining.
- Finish with pesto and cheese. Remove the soup from direct heat and stir in the pesto, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano. Taste before adding salt.
- Add pasta and serve. Stir the cooked pasta into the warm soup just before serving. Thin with a little warm broth or reserved pasta water if needed. Finish with fresh chopped parsley and, if desired, a little extra cheese.
Be conservative with the Calabrian peppers. I used about a tablespoon, which my son and I enjoyed, but my wife found spicy. It’s easier to add heat than to take it back out.
If preparing ahead, refrigerate the cooked food promptly and keep the pasta separate until serving when possible. Reheat thoroughly before combining.
A Few Ways to Make It Your Own
That’s part of the appeal of pasta fazool. It’s a forgiving dish, and you can adjust it to whatever suits your family.
- More traditional: Leave out the chicken and pork chop, using a little pancetta or another cured pork product for flavor. Some versions are completely meatless.
- More meat: Use more or less chicken or pork, or try Italian sausage instead. I happened to like the combination I used.
- Thicker or thinner: Start with half a pound of pasta, or use the whole pound as I did. Adjust the broth accordingly.
- White or red: Use just a tablespoon or two of tomatoes for a lighter broth, or add more for a redder version.
- Mild or spicy: Add the Calabrian peppers gradually. My wife would probably recommend that you listen to this advice.
- More or less cheese: Adjust the Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano to taste.
The important thing is that it works for the people you’re feeding.
One Last Thought
I don’t claim this is authentic Italian pasta e fagioli, and I’m certainly not a chef. I enjoy cooking, especially when there’s a little room for me to experiment, and it was nice to surprise the family.
This time, I’m happy to report, it worked. But sometimes it doesn’t go over as well, which is usually when I hear, “Why Don’t You Just Follow the Recipe?”
Leave a Reply