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Monday, September 6, 2010

Soul Food



My husband is a western man, a meat and potatoes kind of guy. But, since he tried my pasta and beans, he's a convert to Mediterranean foods. This is my version of the dish my mother and her mother cooked.

You can see what's in the dish: pasta, tomatoes, beans, garlic, basil,  olive oil and parmigiano cheese.
If you have the inclination, cook your beans from scratch.  I do cook a big pot on winter days. These cannellini came from a can. Drained and rinsed, they are added to the tomato sauce I made with olive oil, garlic and fresh tomatoes, cooked down just barely, while the pasta is boiled.

The whole thing comes together in ten minutes!
Here, I'm sitting down on the deck to watch the waves.

Salute!

7 comments:

  1. I'd be willing to try that, but I don't know if my meat and potatoes guy would go for it!

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  2. Ah, this is a fine dish instead of meat and potatoes...perhaps, not every single day but, certainly, a couple of days a week, I'd be more than happy with it!!

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  3. Looks like a nice refreshing change after a weekend of overindulging! :) Love the sauce,too!

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  4. The sauce is a snap: sauteed garlic in olive oil, add whatever tomatoes you have on hand, fresh or canned, if canned, save the juice for something else, add any fresh herbs you choose and voila' you have the basics. I add salt to the boiling water, btw, and taste the whole thing after I add cheese, before I add any more salt.

    This sauce can include sauteed vegetables as well, as zucchini and eggplant would be a fine addition.

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  5. Ahhhh...pasta fagioli! Or as we used to say in Ohio "pasta fahzoo." It was a depression dish for immigrant Italians in America. Now in upscale Italian restaurants you pay $8 for a small bowl. We eat it often and since I discovered Rancho Gordo heritage dry beans we have it even MORE often. http://www.ranchogordo.com/
    Great blog!

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