Description
This Italian Pasta Beans is a traditional, rustic Italian recipe made with simple pantry ingredients, slow simmered for rich flavor and finished with ditalini pasta and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
- 2 cans water (use the empty tomato paste cans)
- 16 cups water
- 2 packets Goya ham base
- 2 cans great northern beans, not rinsed or drained
- 10 ounces ditalini pasta
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a very deep pot over medium heat.
- Add the tomato paste and the two cans of water. Whisk well until the tomato paste is fully incorporated.
- Pour in the 16 cups of water. Add the great northern beans along with the liquid from the cans and the ham base packets. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture almost to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow it to gently simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally as the broth slowly reduces and develops flavor.
- When the sauce has simmered down and thickened, cook the pasta in a separate pot, according to the package directions, until al dente.
- Transfer the cooked pasta directly into the pot with the beans and sauce. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Serve hot and finish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- A very large pot is recommended since this recipe makes a big batch.
- If replacing the ham base powder with paste, use a tablespoon.
- The mixture thickens as it simmers and even more after the pasta is added.
- Stir often, scraping the sides of the pot.
- Reserve a bit of the pasta water just in case the mixture is too thick.
- If the dish becomes too thick while reheating, simply add a splash of water or broth.
- Freshly grated Parmesan adds the best flavor and finish to this dish.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Meal Prep
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American/Italian