Hearty and Healthy: Pasta e Fagioli

Cooking with your children is a great way to spend quality family time, and, above all, it's fun! Here's a healthy and light, but warm and cozy, recipe for those cold winter evenings, courtesy of Michelle Stern, owner of What's Cooking. What's Cooking is a Marin-based business that offers cooking workshops in home or school for kids aged 2-1/2 through 19.

Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Bean Soup)
 
2 Tbs (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil  
2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact  
1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig thyme with several sprigs on it, left intact  
1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves  
1 medium onion, finely chopped  
1 small carrot, finely chopped  
1 rib celery, finely chopped  
4 large cloves garlic, chopped  
Coarse salt and pepper  
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans  
1 cup canned tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes  
2 cups water  
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock  
1 1/2 cups ditalini (or any small pasta) pasta  
Grated Parmesan or Romano, for the table  
Crusty bread, for mopping  

1. Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil.
2. Add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic.
3. Season vegetables with salt and pepper.
4. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high.
5. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta.
6. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente.
7. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet.
8. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.

CALL THE KIDS

• If you have one, kids can use a food chopper to chop the carrot, celery and garlic
• Pour in canned tomatoes
• Measure and add water and broth
• Drain and rinse canned beans
• Measure dry pasta
• Grate cheese with a rotary cheese grater (to protect little knuckles!)

Servings: 6

Nutrition (per serving): 248.1 calories; 27% calories from fat; 7.7g total fat; 1.6mg cholesterol; 1400.9mg sodium; 796.5mg potassium; 38.9g carbohydrates; 5.7g fiber; 5.4g sugar; 33.1g net carbs; 7.6g protein.