Pasta Fagioli with Kale

This is another one of my grandma's recipes.  This traditional Italian dish varies from town to town and family to family in Italy.  The name means "pasta and beans" and is pronounced as pasta fazool for the region of Italy that my 'great-Nonni' came from. It was originally a peasant dish and had no meat in it, but that has changed. You can put proscciuto or any kind of meat you want into it, but this recipe goes without. This is simple recipe that is simply delicious.  This is one of my cousin Alena's favorite dishes and she orders it in almost every restaurant she goes to, even when we visited a restaurant in Rome. But don't pronounce it pasta fazool in Rome or the waiter may not serve you!


Pasta Fagioli with Kale

3 tbl. olive oil

1 celery stalk, diced

6 garlic gloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 cups vegetable broth

One 14 oz can diced tomatoes (we used frozen tomatoes from last year)

8 oz whole wheat pasta (small type like elbow or ditalini) 

2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups kale, chopped leaves only ( or any other green in season ie. spinach) 

salt and pepper to taste, grated parmesan for serving

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon parsley

2 bay leaves

1. Heat large dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to heat. Add onion, cook 2 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add celery and carrot, cook stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Add oregano and parsley. Add tomato paste and heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
2. Stir in tomatoes, broth, bay leaves and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer. Add pasta. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add kale and cook 5 more minutes. Add kidney beans and reduce heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese. (remember to save the kale stalks to make vegetable broth later in your week)