You might be familiar with today’s recipe, Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans), from the Olive Garden. My recipe is NOT a copycat recipe. This classic, Neapolitan dish utilizes inexpensive ingredients to make a delicious, filling meal! This version contains no meat and only white beans.

Pasta with Beans {Pasta e Fagioli}

This is *THE* recipe that captured my husband’s attention before we were even dating. He was helping my at-the-time boyfriend work on his car. I was inside my little apartment cooking lunch. Since it’s easier to make this for two to three people than it is for one person, I stuck my head outside and asked if they were interested in lunch. As Michael tells it, he thought: “Man, this guy is lucky to have a girlfriend who can COOK!” Little did he know that he would one day marry me! I’ve made this for him many times since!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 celery stalk, shredded or minced (or 1/4 tsp celery salt, powder, seed)
• 1 small tomato or ½ large, cut in large chunks
• 2 cans navy beans (or cannellini, or great northern), drained and rinsed
• 1 bunch parsley
• ½ box broken spaghetti or tubetti

Procedure

Start with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Heat, then add garlic and celery and after a minute or two, the tomato. Saute for a little bit and then add the beans. Add water to cover.

In the meantime, break up half of box of spaghetti into one inch lengths. 

When water is boiling, add spaghetti and season with salt. NEVER add salt at the beginning; it will harden the beans. Stir, stir, stir to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. When pasta is al dente and water has mostly evaporated it is done. It should be soupy but not watery. If it’s getting too dry, add some water. Serve immediately with diced onion and sprinkle with black pepper.

Buon appetito!

If you like this recipe, check out these similar dishes: Pasta e Patate and Pasta e Piselli.