Pasta salad with a twist.
When you’re married to an Italian, you tend to learn a thing or two in the kitchen. Mr. B grew up eating homemade pastas, salads, and sauces at just about every meal. His grandparents owned an Italian deli in Chicago and the stories he tells reveal a passion for Italian cooking that I was excited to embrace.
My grandmother was Polish and my great-grandmother emigrated from Poland. We are Polish-Hungarian and meals are similarly hearty but very different. I was thrilled to learn new recipes and try new dishes when my husband and I came together.
One day I had a hankering for pasta salad but didn’t have a lot of the traditional ingredients. What I did have was some leftover celery, half a carton of grape tomatoes, and white kidney (cannellini) beans. And of course, rotini pasta (I use the gluten-free version from Barilla).
I boiled the pasta and added the above ingredients, as well as some olive oil, parmesan, minced garlic, and salt and pepper (staples in every Italian dish). I also added a bombastic dollop of Marconi’s Chicago-style giardiniera relish (pronounced zhar-duh-NAIRE) for good measure. (FYI Chicago-style giardiniera has its roots in Italian giardiniera, which is an assortment of pickled vegetables that is typically eaten as an antipasto. However, there are a few differences between the Chicago-style and the traditional Italian-style of giardiniera). My husband picked up a jar of giardiniera relish at the Italian deli we go to in the neighboring town of Torrance. I’ve come to learn that if you’re living with an Italian, there are four things that will always be in constant supply: Tomatoes, parmesan, olive oil, and a jar of giardiniera.
When my husband sampled my creation, he proudly exclaimed, “Beans!”
I sheepishly admitted that I had avoided going to the grocery store that day. Mr. B was unfazed.
“It’s great! Reminds me of pasta fagioli!”
“Pasta fagioli?”
“Yeah! Pasta with beans!”
And that, my friends, is how I inadvertently learned to make pasta fagioli (pronounced FUH-jolie).
You can definitely experiment with this dish—that’s the beauty of Italian cooking. Experimentation is the cornerstone of creativity. Bell pepper, onion, crispy prosciutto, mushrooms, carrot—all make excellent additions or substitutions. For anyone who is interested in re-creating my exact recipe, please refer to below.
Here’s what I put in my Pasta Fagioli (serves 2-4):
· 1 box of Rotini pasta (Barilla makes an excellent gluten-free version)
· (1) can of white cannellini beans, drained
· 5-8 cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced
· (1) garlic clove, minced finely
· (1) celery stalk, chopped
· ¼ to ½ cup giardiniera relish [You can buy the version I used here: https://marconi-foods.com/product/mild-giardiniera-relish/]
· (2) TBSP extra virgin olive oil
· Salt and pepper to taste
· 1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
· Half of a lemon, squeezed over the pasta
Serve warm or room temperature. Can be served as a side dish or entrée (pairs excellently with a simple garden salad). Happy Eating!