Pasta and beans....

                                 Pasta and Beans or pasta fagioli.
                                                          Warning this is not a soup.
   

So you go into a restaurant and you see on the menu, "pasta & fagioli". Or, "pasta fazzole". The same thing. One of the simplest of  all meals. Totally vegan with the protein you need, carbs and roughage age included. All that in a pasta and bean dish.  It will warm you on those cold nights.  And stick to your ribs if you have to go out to shovel snow. Never the less this dish suits any weather.  The kids balk at it at first. That' ok this is for the adults. So get some chicken nuggets for the kids. You will make everyone happy. Most of all yourself. Especially when you see how easy it is to put diner on the table. The origins of this pasta dish is of the regular folks. It is a common dish served in the agricultural south of Italy. From Naples to Sicily.

It is made with either a red kidney bean or white cannelloni bean. I prefer the red kidney bean. I find the white bean  too starchy. Now you can either buy the uncooked beans in a package That you would have to cook and drain prior. This can take a while. It is good to soak the beans overnight before cooking, they are a dried food product. Or, use a good canned product. It can happen, trust me. This dish feeds four.

Ingredients

1 lg. can of  Progresso red kidney beans. or cannelini beans
Or, try the Goya, if you want. You can also get cannelloni beans in a can.

1 lb. Box of shell shaped pasta.( medium size )
I recommend shells because the bean finds it's way into the shell.

2 Tbls of  Olive oil.

4 cloves of garlic peeled and chooped

Pepper and salt.

Locatelli grated cheese.

A wine glass for wine you will be drinking. A full bodied red wine will do just fine.

1. Bring water to a boil and salt the water. Throw in the pasta and follow directions on box as to the cooking time.
2. In a sauce pan, put in the olive oil and bring up the heat. Now throw in the garlic. after a half a minute. Put in the beans. Their liquid as well. Lower the heat and let simmer, stirring once or twice.

3. When the pasta is to your taste and firmness, drain. Leaving some of the water in the pot. About a 1/4 inch  of water should cover the bottom of the pot. By the time you do that the beans are ready to mix with the pasta. Mix the beans into the pot with the pasta,  pepper to taste. . Mix and serve in family style bowl. Put some grated cheese over the top. Some chopped parsley as garnish.  That's it folks. You will be licking your spoon looking for more.