Peppery Pasta e Fagioli & a Sunday Exhale

October 14, 2026

Some weeks fill the calendar and your heart right up. This one had birthdays, a dinner out, and a surprise celebration with friends—planned by an amazing son-in-law and the grandkids. Watching your people put that kind of love into someone’s day? That stays with you. ❤️

By Sunday, I was ready to turn the volume down a little. A comfortable spot on the couch. A nap with excellent intentions. And something warm for supper that didn’t require another reservation.

Get the Recipe

Bo and Honey had already claimed their couch accommodations, of course. Apparently, we purchased their furniture. We are simply allowed to make the payments. 😂

And I was craving pasta e fagioli. Lots of vegetables. Lots of beans. A rich beef broth, whole tomatoes broken up in the pot, and enough black pepper to let you know it showed up.

That is the kind of cooking I wanted for a Sabbath Sunday: a little chopping, a gentle simmer, and time to enjoy being home after a week of celebrating people I love. Rest can include a pot on the stove, especially when tomorrow’s lunch is quietly taking care of itself.

I have a little noodle trick, too. I lower a fine-mesh strainer into the soup and cook the pasta right in that lovely broth. Once it is al dente, I lift it out and keep the noodles separate. Flavor in the pasta. Broth left for later. Everybody behaves.

So this Wednesday, I’m sharing a little of Sunday’s comfort. Pull up a chair, grab a bowl, and bring the bread. We have already done plenty of running around. 🧡

🥣 Peppery Pasta e Fagioli

Makes: 6–8 generous servings
Time: About 1 hour 15 minutes, including prep

What You’ll Gather

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced, including leafy tops
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in juice, undrained
6–8 cups beef broth, plus a splash more if needed
4 cans (15–15.5 ounces each) beans, drained and rinsed—2 cannellini and 2 kidney
1 bay leaf
1 Parmesan rind
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup dry ditalini or small elbow pasta
3 packed cups chopped kale or spinach
Sea salt, to taste
1–2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, optional, to taste
1 teaspoon coconut sugar, only if needed
Fresh chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, and extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

Tomato paste missed the photo shoot!

Let’s Make It

1. Soften the vegetables.
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper with a pinch of salt. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

2. Build the flavor.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it turns a deeper brick-red. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.

3. Bring the pot together.
Add the whole tomatoes with all their juice, breaking them into small pieces with your spoon. Mash about 1 cup of the beans with a little of the measured broth. Add the mashed beans, remaining whole beans, 6 cups beef broth, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.

4. Simmer and skim.
Bring to a gentle simmer. As foam or scum rises to the surface, skim it off with a shallow spoon and discard. Cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes, skimming as needed. Keep the heat gentle rather than letting it reach a rolling boil. Add the zucchini and, if using kale, add it now. Simmer for another 10–12 minutes, until tender.

5. Give the noodles a broth bath.
Nestle a heat-safe, fine-mesh colander or pasta strainer securely into the pot. Add the dry pasta to the basket, keeping the noodles fully submerged in broth with room to move. Add more of the reserved broth as needed.

Maintain a steady simmer and stir the noodles occasionally. Check against the package timing and taste for doneness. When just al dente, carefully lift out the strainer, let the broth drain back into the pot, and transfer the noodles to a separate bowl.

6. Taste and finish.
If using spinach, stir it in now and simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Add the remaining broth as desired, plus a splash more if the pasta absorbed a lot.

Taste for salt and add more black pepper for your preferred bite. If the tomatoes taste too sharp, stir in 1 teaspoon coconut sugar. If the soup needs brightness instead, add the optional red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon at a time.

7. Gather around the bowl.
Spoon noodles into each serving bowl and ladle the hot soup over them. Finish with parsley, grated Parmesan, and a small drizzle of olive oil. Crusty sourdough is very welcome here.

🧭 Compass Kitchen Notes

My noodle trick: Cooking the pasta in the soup gives it flavor while the strainer makes it easy to remove. Keep the noodles separate for serving and leftovers. No spending the night drinking tomorrow’s lunch.

About skimming: Skimming removes surface foam for a cleaner-looking broth. The tomatoes, mashed beans, and pasta starch give this soup its natural body; it won’t be crystal clear.

Optional protein portion: Brown 1 pound of Italian-seasoned chicken or turkey sausage in the pot first. Transfer to a plate, cook the vegetables, then return the sausage with the broth and cook through.

Make it yours: Mash more beans for a thicker pot. Add freshly ground black pepper at the end for a little extra bite.

🧭 Compass Heading

Receive the rest.

Compass Bearing
Psalm 46:10 • NASB 1995

Compass Thought
I am thankful for a week full of people to celebrate—and for the quiet that follows. I can enjoy the gathering and receive the rest. There is room for both.

Compass Verse

“Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

— Psalm 46:10, NASB 1995

Compass Prayer
Lord, thank You for our family, our friends, and the love tucked into this week. Help us slow down enough to receive Your peace. Bless the food we share and the people around our tables. Amen.

Notice More. Love Well. Gather Often.

With love,
Karen 🧡

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