Pasta e fagioli facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Pasta fagioli Pasta fasul Pašta fažol |
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| Type | Pasta dish |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Campania, Emilia |
| Main ingredients | Small pasta (elbow macaroni, ditalini), cannellini beans, or borlotti beans, olive oil, garlic, onions, spices, stewed tomato or tomato paste. |
Pasta e fagioli is a classic Italian soup. Its name means "pasta and beans" in Italian. In some places, especially in New York, people might call it pasta fasul or pasta fazool. This comes from its Neapolitan name, pasta e fasule. It's a warm, hearty dish that many families enjoy.
Contents
What is Pasta e Fagioli?
Pasta e fagioli is a simple yet delicious soup. It is made with small pasta shapes and different kinds of beans. This dish is a great example of traditional Italian cooking. It shows how simple ingredients can make something very tasty.
How is Pasta e Fagioli Made?
The main rule for pasta e fagioli is that it must have both beans and pasta. But beyond that, recipes can be quite different!
Most often, people use cannellini beans, navy beans, or borlotti beans. For the pasta, small shapes like elbow macaroni or ditalini are common.
The soup usually starts with a base of olive oil, garlic, and chopped onion. Other vegetables like celery and carrots are often added too. Many recipes include stewed tomatoes or tomato paste. However, some versions skip the tomatoes and use a clear broth instead.
You can make this soup vegetarian. Or, you can add meat like bacon, ground beef, or pancetta. Sometimes, a meat-based broth is used for extra flavor.
Different Styles of Pasta e Fagioli
The way pasta e fagioli is made changes a lot depending on the region in Italy. This is because people use ingredients that are easy to find where they live.
The soup's thickness can vary a lot. Some versions are very soupy, while others are much thicker, almost like a stew. For example, in Bari, the dish is usually thicker. It often uses different pasta shapes mixed together. They also add pancetta to the sauce base for flavor.
Some recipes suggest mashing the beans. This makes the soup even thicker and more like a stew. A similar dish called Pasta e ceci is popular in Rome. It uses chickpeas instead of beans.
Pasta e Fagioli in Pop Culture
This famous Italian soup has even appeared in songs!
In 1927, a fun song called "Pastafazoola" was released by Van and Schenck. It used the Neapolitan way of saying the name in its lyrics. The song "That's Amore" is another famous one. It was sung by Dean Martin. This song also mentions "pasta fazool" in its lyrics. Dean Martin loved pasta e fagioli very much!
See also
In Spanish: Pasta e fagioli para niños
