Pasta e Fagioli with Potatoes and Broccoli
Pasta e Fagioli is one of those dinners that brings me back to my childhood. My mom worked part time and it was pretty much a known fact that if Mom worked that day, we were going to have either leftovers or Pasta e Fagioli for dinner that night. In our house, Pasta e Fagioli wasn’t prepared one way, in fact, it had a few variations one of which is with the addition of potatoes and broccoli.
Aside from this taking less than 30 minutes to prepare, Pasta e Fagioli is one of my weeknight favourites because it uses mostly ingredients that I always have in my pantry. Cannellini beans are one of my favourite legumes because they have a buttery texture, but if you don’t have cannellini and want to use chickpeas or kidney beans instead, use those! They’re equally as delicious and make for a good substitute. Broccoli is a weekly buy in my household and I like the freshness it brings to a rather heavy dish. If you don’t have broccoli, use something like frozen peas or green beans instead. Potatoes, on the other hand, can’t really be replaced. You either use them or you don’t, but I would highly encourage you to use them if you have some. They add a nice texture to the dish and when they soften and combine with the oil and pasta water, they create a silky sauce.
Pasta e Fagioli with Potatoes & Broccoli
Life From the Playpen | March 2020
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
3/4 Box of Mezzi Rigatoni Pasta(or any medium shaped pasta)
3 Potatoes, cubed
5 - 6 cups Broccoli, bite-size florets
1 can Cannellini Beans, rinsed & drained
3 Cloves Garlic, sliced
1/4 Cup EVOO
1/4 tsp Hot Pepper Flakes
Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add and stir in pasta and potatoes and cook according to pasta package instructions or until pasta is al dente and potatoes are fork tender.
2. While pasta is cooking, place olive oil and garlic in a medium frying pan over low heat. Cook garlic until fragrant and add a pinch of hot pepper flakes. Remove from heat and set aside
3. With four minutes of pasta cooking time remaining, add broccoli florets to the pasta and potatoes. Once cooked, reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water, drain and return everything to the pot. Add beans and garlic oil and stir everything to combine and warmn through. Top with freshly grated parm and serve.
