This is an incredibly delicious and hearty soup (one I make often), especially considering its ease in preparation and its simplicity. I do love baby spinach but I love Swiss Chard even better, so I chose to use that instead, including the ribs, which I sliced like celery and simmered in the soup for ten minutes before adding the chopped leaves and the beans. On this occasion I also cooked the ditalini separately so I could control how much Hubs and I each put in our bowls. I also added some cooked chicken, a chopped, red-ripe tomato and finished each serving with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. This soup is one of the best comfort foods I know.
This recipe, despite its name, is the best "pasta e fagioli" on this site. I reduced the broth by about 1/4 because I like soups that are a bit thicker. It tastes okay as is if served w/ a generous topping of grated parmesan cheese. Without the cheese, it's a bit lacking in depth of flavor. By adding ~1 tsp. of lemon juice and a small pinch of chipotle pepper powder (to give a smoky flavor) I gave it enough flavor to stand on its own w/o the cheese. Anyhow, thank you, Lisa, for giving me the right proportions of ingredients for a real "pasta e fagioli". I really enjoyed it.
This is a great soup! I used chicken stock instead of broth and I also added about six sprigs of fresh thyme (leaves only), juice from 1/2 a fresh lemon and a few dashes of McCormick "italian herbs" seasoning. I also added grated parmesean cheese and a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) to each individual serving - the EVOO & parm added to the presentation and the flavor was great. My hubby loved it and said this should be a keeper!! The leftovers tasted even better the next day. Yum!
This was very good. I made it as written using mini bow ties for my pasta. The only change I would make next time is to coarsely chop the spinach rather than putting the leaves in whole. Even after wilting I thought some pieces were quite large. I also think frozen chopped spinach would work well in this. One word of caution if you think you re going to have leftovers cook your pasta separately and add it to the soup when serving otherwise the pasta will soak up a lot of the broth and you will no doubt have to add more broth to your leftovers.
This is a great recipe easy to make and tastes just like the Beans & Greens from a wonderful restaurant called Umberto's. I use a little more garlic and add extra beans. Excellent!
Bland until I added a shake of hot pepper flakes and shredded some real parm on top of each bowl.
LOVED this easy quick and healthy soup! I used whole wheat elbow macaroni and sprinkled the soup with shredded parmesian cheese. Delicious!
This was a huge hit with my family. I added a large can of diced tomato and used chicken stock and mini bowties. I seasoned with some crushed red pepper italian seasonings some celery salt and some regular kosher salt and pepper. I added some fresh grated parmesan to each bowl. This will definitely be in regular rotation during the cooler months.
Happy tummy! So good! I used orzo and kale instead of spinach. Also added celery a can of diced tomatoes and some smoked turkey sausage. The stock I used was pretty bland so I added some dried thyme parsley a tad of ground cayenne and a ton of black pepper. Gave my dad a bunch to take home since he loved it too. Yes pasta in soup will absorb the broth as it sits so I just add some water when heating up leftovers. Not ideal since the pasta does get mushy but when a soup is this great I don't care all that much. I often cook pasta separately from soup for just this reason and store the leftovers separately. Didn't bother this time. Garlic greens and beans RULE.
