Pasta and beans soup, the classic Italian “Pasta e fagioli”, one of the most traditional Italian dishes and probably one of the best-renowned Italian dishes in the world, is full of flavour and has many important anti-aging and healthy properties.

Whilst there are many variants, the original recipe comes from a simple rural dish, which had been served since Roman times. Pasta and beans was traditionally considered as a gorgeous, tasty and nutrient food, suitable to feed the many clients of the ancient inns. Many Italian regions are competing over which comes first in inventing the original recipe, among which Veneto and Tuscany hit the game-winner.

This recipe is very easy to make, light and gorgeous at the same time and can be suitable also for those who are vegetarians and vegans.

The so-called “Italian paradox”

Have you ever wondered how Italians eat their high starch favorites like pasta, pizza, and pastry… and still have the lowest rates of weight gain and obesity in the world?

The secret lies in a peculiar Diet which is able to stop fattening carbs from breaking down into the sugar your body stores as fat. Among other foodstuffs, Cannellini Beans, a typical ingredient of the “Pasta e fagioli” plays a significant role.

Which are the benefits of Cannellini Beans?

Cannellini Beans can provide you with a high protein and fiber content without overloading your diet with calories. The main properties of Cannellini Beans can be resumed as follows:

1. Cannellini Beans can help you regulate your blood sugar levels. There are many studies pointing out that beans might be useful as food components in preventing or ameliorating type 2 diabetes.
2. Cannellini Beans can help you lose weight. As an alternative to a low glycemic index diet, there is a growing body of research into products that slow the absorption of carbohydrates through the inhibition of enzymes responsible for their digestion. These products include alpha-amylase and glucosidase inhibitors. The common white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) produces an alpha-amylase inhibitor, which has been characterized and tested in numerous clinical studies.
3. Cannellini Beans can lower the risk of coronary heart disease. A large study recently published on Clinical Nutrition and conducted on more than 672.000 patients has demonstrated that a high fiber intake is inversely associated with the risk of coronary heart disease. The alpha amylase inhibitor extract of white beans also have various heart-healthy effects, including the reduction of free fatty acids and triglycerides.
4. Cannellini Beans might help fight cancer. Like all Phaseolus vulgaris beans, Cannellini Beans have a high level of antioxidants, fighting the oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Moreover, they contain polyphenols, a type of antioxidant commonly known for decreasing the risk for heart disease and cancer, making Cannellini Beans potential cancer-fighting foods. One of these anti-oxidants, known as ferulic acid, provides meaningful synergistic protection against oxidative stress in skin and should be useful for protection against photoaging and skin cancer, as demonstrated in a study published on the Journal of Dermatology.

Ingredients for 2 persons

• Half a pound of boiled Cannellini Beans (about 250 grams, drained weight: if you’re using fresh beans, you have to halve this quantity and follow the instruction below);
• ¼ pound of Pasta (about 120 grams: you can choose between Egg Pasta, Rigatoni…remember that the smaller, the better);
• Half a stick of celery;
• Half a carrot;
• One shallot (or scallion);
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 2 pints of vegetable broth;
• 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil;
• Thymus, Oregan, Marjoram;
• 4 leaves of Sage;
• A pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper;
• Chilli Pepper if you want (to your heart’s desire).

Preparation

1. Drain off the beans and mill half of them with a food masher;
2. Chop finely the celery, the carrot and the shallot;
3. Heat the vegetable broth;
4. Put the celery, the carrot, the shallot and the peeled garlic in a pot and heat them to medium with olive oil, keeping on heating until the shallot becomes translucent. Remember, do not brown. Add one tablespoon of vegetable broth and sweat for 5 mins, then add another ladle of broth and stir gently;
5. Now add the whole beans, a pinch of thymus, oregan and marjoram and the leaves of sage. Leave to season for a few minutes, heating high;
6. Mix the mashed beans with half a ladle of broth and put the compound in the pot. Stir again and leave to season again for a few minutes;
7. Pour almost all the vegetable broth in the pot and heat to boiling. Salt to taste;
8. Toss the pasta and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon. The cooking time will be dependent on the form of the pasta you’ve chosen (read carefully the instruction on the package). Should the soup dry too much, then add some broth. The soup should be kept rather liquid, as it tends to become thicker by the end of cooking time;
9. In the meantime, rinse and dry the parsley and mince the leaves. Remove the soup from heat, taste and correct for seasoning;
10. Serve warm, drizzling with extra-virgin olive oil.

If you’re using fresh Cannellini Beans, this is a variant:

1. Boil the beans in about 6 cups of cold salted water. In case of dried beans, soak them before use for one night. Add 2 cloves of peeled garlic, the sage and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
2. When boiled, strain and mill the whole compound with a food masher until creamy, then toss the result in the same cooking water;
3. In another pot, add 1 tbsp of olive oil with one clove of garlic, a little bit of rosemary and chilli pepper. As soon as garlic begins to brown, add 1 tbsp of tomato paste, previously mixed with a little water;
4. Cook for a few minutes, then pour all the beans broth in the pot and let it simmer for ten minutes;
5. Finally, toss the pasta and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon;
6. In the meantime, rinse and dry the parsley and mince the leaves. Remove the soup from heat, taste and correct for seasoning;
7. Serve warm, drizzling with extra-virgin olive oil.