One of my dearest friends cooks, bakes, and grills like a professional chef.  She loves to chop vegetables, says things like “ramekins” and has her own tablecloth named after her—The Christine—for purchase at The Palate in Stockholm, WI:  http://www.thepalate.net/.  Preparing food has been her passion since before my husband and I met Christine and her husband, Mark, over 15 years ago.  It has been our good fortune to be the lucky recipients of many delicious meals and absolutely wonderful times in their home.  Since I am all about following our passion, this is my way of letting her have an outlet for hers.  Enjoy!

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“Pasta e fagioli or pasta fagioli, (or fagiolo) meaning “pasta and beans”, is a traditional meatless Italian dish. Like many other Italian favorites including pizza and polenta, the dish started as a peasant dish, due to being composed of inexpensive ingredients. Today it can be widely found, even in restaurants that do not specialize in Italian cuisine. It is often pronounced pasta fazool in the United States.

The word for “beans” varies in different Italian dialects, e.g. fagioli ([faˈdʒɔːli]) in standard Italian, [faˈsuːl] in Neapolitan, and [faˈsuːlu] in Sicilian. Pastafazoola, a 1927 novelty song by Van and Schenck, capitalizes on the Neopolitan pronunciation in the rhyme, “Don’t be a fool, eat pasta fazool.”  The Dean Martin song ‘That’s Amore’ also rhymes “When the stars make you drool, joos-ta like pasta fazool, that’s amore”.”  (Hah!  I always wondered what the words were for that part of the song!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasta_e_fagioli

Pasta Fagiolo

2 stalks celery medium chop
1 onion medium chop
2 carrots small chop
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups chicken stock cup water
1 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes ( do not drain)
2 cans cannellini beans
3/4 cup elbow macaroni

• Sauté celery, onions and carrots in Olive oil in large saucepan for 3-4 minutes until they start to get soft.

• Add garlic, Italian seasoning and red beeper flakes and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Be careful to watch so that garlic does not burn. Sautéing the seasoning will help to enhance the flavor.

• Add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil.

• Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes to cook the vegetables.

• Add the beans, canned tomatoes and macaroni and bring to a boil.

• Cover the pot and cook for 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper if necessary.

• Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

• Add a sald and you have a hearty, healthy winter meal!