Pasta Fagioli from EDC book

[Kathy]

HELP!!

Has anyone made the Pasta Fagioli from Everyday cookbook??

I have never had this dish before, so I have no bench mark of what it should taste like??

2tbs of vegie stock was to much it was very salty. Also very runny, I'm not sure what it should taste like, it seemed to be lacking something!

But I drowned it it cracked pepper and Parmesan and it tasted ok!!

All comments greatly appreciated

[baf65]

the one or 2 times i have made it at demos I put in the thermo server for about 10mins after cooking and during that time it becomes less runny, the next day its not runny at all!!!
apparantly a proper pasta fiogoli is runny more like soup anyway
if you have made the veg stock using 200g of salt then yes i would half the stock to 1tbs

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

This dish has become a bit of a staple in my family.  I think it is very bland, but my two little boys absolutely love it.  I put 500gms of pasta in and tip it into the thermoserve for 10 minutes to thicken before serving (they like it thick - a bit like mac cheese).  It is a healthy, quick option for the boys when Hubby and I are having something that they don't like, but not overly inspiring.

Has anyone modified the recipe and added anything to spice it up a bit???

Chelsea  

[judydawn]

We didn't like this one either so I froze the leftovers into 2 packets and just added a packet into the next lot of tuna mornay I made rather than throw it out. On the other hand, I know Karen's family loves it.

Just an afterthought - I probably wouldn't have bought my TMX if the consultant had given me pasta Fagioli to taste   Only joking but really, I would never have cooked the recipe afterwards.

[brazen20au]

yes, we do love it LOL  we ad extras to it though, extra veg and extra garlic and tons of parmesan. thanks for reminding me of it, will have to have it soon!

[Kathy]

ok, so maybe I made it right then. But for a dish to be done at a demo, to then wait an extra 10mins for it thicken, personally is it really a good choice then for Demo's. I mean it was really runny like pasta in Bean soup!

Today I froze the rest and yes it has now set like glue!!!! Thanks for the feed back.

[Thermomixer]

Just thought I'd put my two bob's (or diecimila lire) worth in - pasta e fagioli can vary lots in consistency and like minestrone, just vary to suit - but beans and pasta è necessario.

A link to a wiki article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasta_e_fagioli gives more info.

THis brings up the point about cookbooks - if they have pics then you have a much netter idea of whether you have succeeded in recreating the dish, or failed.  Part of the reason that I wasted so much time when I first started the blog.  Just remembered !!

[Kathy]

Thanks Thermomixer, that was a great link!! I had never thought to do a Google search for info!! Yes you a right no picture in recipe book didn't help.

The picture on the link look very much like a soup. I really felt like it needed some herbs, what could one add to it?? Italian flat leaf parsley??

[Thermomixer]

Parsley, Oregano, Marjoram or just a little mixed herbs.  Those mixes of "Italian Seasoning" would be perfect.  Maybe some tomato paste?

[Karen3]

Hi Y'all,
I add a tbsp of sweet paprika.
Cheers,
Karen3

[faffa_70]

I add a chilli  and throw it in the thermo serve to thicken a little - also use a chilli a demo's now as well, though have been taking the seeds out of late as we seem to have really hot chillies here ATM 

[faffa_70]

Have been wanting to get back here to finish my last post (where my computer crashed grrr)

I add the chilli as before lol and also add a couple of cloves of garlic. I have also found that if I use Borlotti beans for the sauce and chop them a little less it seems to give a better depth of flavour. I also use 4 bean mix then for the second can of beans OR a mix of borlotti, 4 bean mix and cannellini beans

[quirkycooking]

A lot of people have told me they don't like this recipe, but we LOVE it and have it about once a week, for a quick lunch.  (Actually, people who turn up there noses at the idea of 'bean pasta' have tasted this at demos and loved it after all!)  But I add 2 Tbs tomato paste so it's more 'tomatoey', and only 250g pasta (we like Orgran Rice and Corn Tortelli), and we use cannelini beans, or sometimes 4 bean mix, not borlotti.  (I don't think the taste is as nice with borlotti.)  One comment I've heard is that it's too thick and dry, which is why I make it more soupy, then let it sit a little.

Both at demos and at home I put it in the server to sit while I rinse the bowl, dry it, then grind up the parmesan.  By the time that's done, the pasta is ready, and I stir in the parmesan.  (Except at home we have it separate, as 3 of us are dairy free.)

I do a big heaped spoon of vege stock, but I don't make my vege stock exactly to the recipe in the book.  I fill up the TMX bowl with veges, grind it down, refill it to the top, grind it down, then add the salt and oil.  So it's probably not quite as salty as the one in the book as it has more veges in it.

[judydawn]

If this had been done at the demo I went to, I would never have bought the TMX - I tried this one and one from Antonio Carluccio's book but liked neither. You either love it or hate it so for a demo, I agree that risotto is a far better choice.

[Lellyj]

Okay, I have read what seems like hunderds of posts about pasta e fagioli and the time had come . . . I had to try it!  I admit when I first got Clancy, flipping through the EDC, I didn't think I would ever make it as the recipe looked so bland, but curiosity got the better of me.  I found a link to Brazen's blog on the topic where it suggested adding carrot and extra garlic, used the chilli and added a bit of fresh oregano and heaps of pepper.  I used 500g of macaroni (TMX was VERY full!) and the end result after sitting in the TMX was very thick, like macaroni and cheese .  Next time I would add Quirky Jo's suggestion--tomato paste, didn't see that til later).

And the verdict??  We loved it!!! Or rather, I loved it, vego son (who drives me mad because he is often non-communicative about what I cook, being of the "eat to live" mentality . . . drives me mad as I go to a fair bit of trouble to accommodate his food choices) said "This is nice, what is it?" (Equivalent of raptuous praise) and omnivore son ate it.  Husband (also like me, a vegetarian who eats meat--ie happy to eat vego most of the time, but love a bit of protein) is in Melbourne tonight and will have to wait until next time, as there's none left!