Pasta Fagioli
Ingredients:
- 4 Large Carrots
- 1 bunch of Celery
- 2 Large Onions
- 6 qt Water
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 30 oz Canned Northern Beans
- 30 oz Canned Diced Tomato
- 1 lb Fresh Spinach
- 2 lb Ditalini Pasta
Directions:
1. Prepare your soup broth by cutting the carrots, celery and onions into approximately 2-inch pieces. Place in your Instant Pot along with the water, salt and bay leaves, being careful not to exceed the maximum fill line. Pressure cook on HIGH for 1 hour, then keep warm until you are ready to prepare your soup.
2. Strain the spent vegetables from the broth and return the stock to the Instant Pot. Discard the bay leaves and bring the broth to a boil using the Sauté feature.
3. Add the canned Northern beans (drained and rinsed) and diced tomatoes, including their juices. Stir well and allow to simmer for approximately 10–15 minutes.
4. Wash the fresh spinach thoroughly and roughly chop if the leaves are particularly large. Stir into the simmering soup and cook just until wilted.
5. Meanwhile, bring a separate large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ditalini pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
6. Add the cooked pasta to the soup and stir gently to combine. If the soup is too thick, add a little additional water or vegetable stock until you reach your desired consistency.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Remove the bay leaves if they were left in the broth.
8. Serve piping hot! A little freshly cracked black pepper or grated Parmesan is lovely if you have it on hand.
For leftovers, consider storing the pasta separately from the soup. Ditalini loves to soak up broth overnight, and before you know it, your Pasta Fagioli has turned into Pasta Without the Fagioli!