Pasta Fagioli Recipe, Meatless & Low-Sodium

A well-known and delicious Italian dish made with canned foods is the pasta Fagioli recipe. You can find this dish at your local Olive Garden, or pre-packaged at Amazon. But for the healthiest version, I’ll share how to make it yourself. With 18” of snow outside and a single can of black beans in your cabinet,…

A well-known and delicious Italian dish made with canned foods is the pasta Fagioli recipe. You can find this dish at your local Olive Garden, or pre-packaged at Amazon. But for the healthiest version, I’ll share how to make it yourself. With 18” of snow outside and a single can of black beans in your cabinet, this dish is a great choice. Protein-rich, vegan, low in fat and cholesterol, pasta Fagioli (pasta and beans) is a nutritious meal.

Turn Up The Heat, Start To Add Your Ingredients (Step 1)

First, heat up the oil in a medium saucepan on your stove. Turn up the heat dial on your stove to medium level. Next, add a celery rib that you can buy at your local grocery. Add some canned Italian tomatoes, a teaspoon of canned tomato paste and 1/2 cup of water to the pan. If you want, use chicken stock instead of water for more flavor. Then season the mixture with a pinch of crushed red pepper. Lower your heat and let the mix simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened. 

pasta fagiolo recipe pasta

Pour In The Beans, Broth & Pasta (Step 2)

Next, add beans then the dry pasta of your choice into the simmering mix. Preferably, I go for spaghetti or ditalini or any other type of pasta broken into 1-inch pieces. If I don’t have that, I use some fettuccine, linguine or fideo-cut spaghetti. You will need 2 cups of water or chicken broth for the 8 oz of pasta. 

pasta fagiolo recipe beans

Choose The Right Beans (Step 3)

By now, the simmering mixture on your stove should be slightly thick. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thick. At this point, it is time to add the canned beans and bring ingredients back to a simmer. Types of canned beans that taste best with this dish are Cannellini or Great Northern beans. Next, add your pasta into the pan. White beans are one of the trademarks of this Italian dish. I don’t recommend dark-colored kidney beans, refried beans or black beans for a Pasta Fagioli recipe.

Finish Cooking, And Enjoy! (Conclusion)

Feel free to add more water to the simmering soup. Continue to cook the pasta until it’s Al Dente with the stove on medium heat. Did the pasta Fagioli recipe stick to the bottom of your pan?Then add half a cup of water or chicken stock to the pan. Monitor the pasta Fagioli recipe and stir it briskly every 5 minutes. Then, add your seasonings into the soup. A combination of parsley, oregano, basil, pepper, and salt will provide the perfect kick.

The Importance Of Rinsing

Thoroughly rinse canned beans before you use them. In addition to dirt particles, you need to rinse away sodium. Store-bought beans float inside a soupy liquid within each can. Unfortunately, this liquid holds excess sodium. Dump the whole can into a strainer and rinse it away. As a result, a large amount of sodium will wash away. The truth is, the purpose of this sodium is to preserve canned food.

Safety & Longevity Of Canned Food

Canned foods maintain their safety and quality longer than some packaged foods. For instance, canned preservation of vegetables, seafood, and low-acid foods is up to five years. Canned meats such as ham maintain up to five years of shelf life. Because of the high acidity of sauerkraut, fruits, and tomatoes, their can storage life is two years. Beans in a can last about the same amount of time, but dried beans last longer.

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