Since moving away from our hometowns, Sarah and I really value our weekend trips back to our parents’ houses. Earlier this summer, we had a really great trip to Sarah’s mom’s place in Lancaster to cook up some Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes, and Eggplant "Meatball" Subs. Now just this past weekend, we thought it would be great to show some recipes from my mother, and cook some delicious food on our trip “up north” to my hometown in Elk County.
For me, I know that some of my best memories of my immediate and extended family revolve around food. My mom and her side of the family are predominantly Italian, so we often have some sort of Italian dish at holidays or large gatherings (ravioli, lasagna, etc.) This time around, since we’re trying to adapt recipes to fit with a vegan style of eating, we opted for some Pasta Fagioli, which has almost no substitutions to make into a vegan soup!
Here’s what you need!
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. parsley
- 1 tbsp. dried basil (but best to use fresh if available)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 15 oz. cans great northern beans
- 1 29 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
- 8 oz. small sized pasta (we used Ditalini)
- 1 14.5 oz. can spinach (or 1/2 bag fresh)
- 2 14.5 oz cans vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Mozzarella, for topping (optional)
Here’s what you do!
- In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients except for the pasta (and spinach if you’re using fresh).
- Bring to a boil on high heat, reduce heat, and simmer for about 40 minutes.
- After about 40 minutes, add the pasta and spinach until pasta is tender.
That’s it! The soup is SO flavorful. It has recently become one of my favorite meals to eat at home. My mom also happens to be great at baking all sorts of bread. This dish is served deliciously with some fresh homemade French bread, and topped with mozzarella or cheese of your choice!
This isn’t any sort of secret family recipe or anything, so go make some! It’s delicious.
Sarah & Nick
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