There’s nothing like a bowl of good old-fashioned comfort food: beans, pasta, veggies, and a delicious sauce – otherwise known as pasta fagioli.
It tastes like being in an Italian grandmother’s kitchen. Even better if you cook your own dry beans!
Ingredients
- 4 cups dry cannellini or romano beans (or 2 cans if you’re short on time)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 celery stalks, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dry basil or 1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound gluten-free pasta
- 1 bunch kale, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top
Directions
If you’re cooking dry beans… Soak the beans in plenty of water overnight. Rinse them in the morning, then cover with a good amount of water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for a few hours until the beans are tender. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just starts to brown, then add the celery and basil. Let it cook for another 5 minutes to soften the celery.
Add in the beans and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat to simmer for at least 30 minutes. This will develop a beautiful flavor. Stir frequently.
Cook your pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. While it’s cooking, add the chopped kale to the sauce and mix it in to wilt the kale.
Drain your pasta and serve it hot – you can mix the fagioli sauce straight into the pasta pot, and if you like you can leave some extra sauce on the side to serve on top. Sprinkle nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan on top and enjoy your plate full of love!
Inspiration
I wanted to share a quote I came across that I need to remember:
“Open your mouth only if what you are going to say
is more beautiful than silence.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
No matter what thoughts or emotions are going around inside our minds and bodies, it’s our words and actions that leave marks on the world.
It’s like my Grandpa used to say: “Always leave your campsite cleaner than you found it.”
My aspiration is to leave each person feeling more joy (or at least not more suffering) than before I interacted with them.
Sometimes that means not opening my mouth when I don’t have anything beautiful to say. 🙂
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