Pasta e Fagioli with Fresh Beans
-Shell 1 pound of Dragon’s Tongue beans, then discard the shells.
-Dice 4 slices of thick cut bacon.
-In a large pot, add the diced bacon and sauté until golden and crispy.
-Chop up the following into small dice:
1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stalk or a small piece of fennel
-Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes.
-Chop up 1 tomato.
-Add the chopped tomato and the shelled beans.
-Pour in 4-6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the beans are tender.
-Remove half the beans from the pot, puree and then add them back
-Chop then add some fresh parsley, rosemary or cilantro and continue simmering another 5 minutes.
-Cook 8 ounces of pasta or spaghetti al dente in a separate pot of boiling salted water and combine with the bean soup just before serving.