Beans with Jenna Baker - RGK Cooking School Ep. 2
This week on RGK Cooking School, Jenna Baker, Owner of Cook To Be Well, is talking about beans and demonstrating how to make a classic bean soup, Pasta E Fagioli (Pasta & Beans).
Notes and recipes by Jenna Baker
BEAN COOKING BASICS
1 lb. dry beans = 2 cups dry beans
Dry beans expand by about 2 ½ times during soaking and up to 3 ½ times when cooked.
1 -15oz can of beans is just under 2 cups of cooked beans—the equivalent of about ¾ c dry beans.
Soaking reduces cooking time. We soak overnight when we are cooking in the morning or soak in the morning for cooking later in the day. Anywhere between 4 to 12 hours is fine. Cooking time will depend on many factors such as the variety, size and age of the bean or even the composition of your local water. Bring the beans up to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Allow for over one hour and learn to determine when beans are done to your preference by tasting them throughout the cooking process. We add salt to the pot when the beans are almost all the way tender to allow them to take up some salt at the end of the cooking process. Turn off the heat source and let them sit in their pot liquor for about 15 min. to develop flavor. Now your beans are ready to use in a recipe or transfer to a container with their liquid and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Digestive herbs and aromatics both flavor your beans and improve digestibility. Some common ones are bay leaf, epazote, winter savory and kombu seaweed. It’s also good to finish bean preparations with a generous amount of digestive herbs like parsley, mint or cilantro.
PASTA E FAGIOLI
What better meal to soothe a troubled soul than a bowl of soup that’s starch on starch.
Before you gasp, let's remember there are many dishes that include a combination of two different starches. In Indian cooking we find a myriad of rice and potato dishes as well as on South American tables and in various forms of dumplings across many cultures.
This doesn't necessarily add up to an imbalanced meal, nutritionally speaking, and can be undoubtedly comforting and delicious.
We also think this is a perfect go-to pantry meal, with lots of options for substitutions to use what you have. As with most soups, you can add any combination of vegetables and greens that you have on hand.
Delicious additions...fresh or frozen peas, fresh asparagus.
Possible substitutions...many greens work in place of kale. Arugula, baby spinach and chard would all work beautifully.
Pasta suggestions... we like small shells and orecchiette . Pasta e fagioli is often made with ditalini. We like anything that is small with ridges that hold on to the broth.
SERVES 4-6
In an 8 qt soup pot, on medium-low heat, warm just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan
Add:
1 medium onion, diced
Allow to cook slowly while preparing the other veggies.
Add:
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Carrots, cut
2 ribs celery (or celery root), cut
Season and allow to soften a bit
Add:
1 can (15oz) crushed tomatoes
1 qt. Water or broth
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs dried oregano
¼ t pepper flakes (we love Olde Virden’s)
½ t smoked paprika
2 cups white beans and their broth (if cooked from dry)
Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 min.
Add:
1 cup small pasta
Allow to simmer until almost tender
Add:
Tuscan Kale, chopped
Allow to wilt
Serve with:
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
A Fresh lemon squeeze
Good Olive Oil (we love A Dopo’s)
We love this with a simple salad alongside and maybe, even shamelessly, a loaf of really good sourdough!