Winter Comfort Foods

After a day of blowing snow, howling wind, a trip to Harrisburg and back, it was time to do some work around the stove to warm my bones!  I couldn't decide on pasta e fagioli or black eyed peas with ham hocks.  Since I could not make up my mind I decided to make both.  In the photo below you can see the saute pan on the stove and the crock pot on the counter.  Since I was starting with dried black eyed peas I decided to make them in the crock pot for 8 hours on low.  Because the black eyed peas and ham hocks would taste great the longer they sat, I made the pasta e fagioli for dinner tonight. We'll have the peas one night during the week and I'll make some cornbread. 

I ALWAYS have canned beans and macaroni in my pantry. Always. Even if I don't make pasta e fagioli for a year, I know the items are there for the making...just in case...

I found a small container of mirepoix in the freezer so I added it to the saute pan, cooked it until it was deeply colored and created fond. Macaroni and beans can be pretty bland, so the added flavor of the onion, carrot and celery in olive oil and butter would add a good flavor base.  

  

Once my veggies were well done I added two cans of drained and rinsed Goya Cannellini Beans.  I really like Goya canned beans.  I buy their dried beans as well, but their canned beans are very tasty and firm. Their firmness holds up well in cooking as they don't turn to mush. I sauteed the beans for a bit, letting them absorb that great flavor from the veggies and the oils. I also seasoned them lightly with freshly ground black pepper and dried oregano. See how nicely the Goya beans held up? They are creamy goodness!

Meanwhile, I had elbow macaroni cooking in a heavily salted pot of water (it should taste like the ocean). I slightly under-cooked them and then added about 2/3 of a pound of the macaroni to the beans.

Here's a shot of the mixture, all getting along so nicely!  As most cooks (should) do, I taste while cooking and I decided it needed something... so I opened my refrigerator, pulled out some shelves and found what I was looking for! I had made sauce earlier in the week and determined that my pasta e fagioli needed some good old marinara sauce for acidity and a flavor boost.  So I added a spoon or three...

And then I added a few ladles-full of the macaroni water.  It is always good to add some of the pasta water to your dishes. It helps the sauces to stick to the macaroni and adds a nice creaminess to the sauce.  I then stirred it all together and with the added marinara it was so flavorful.  My marinara is made with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. The garlic added just the right amount of flavor.

And here is the finished dish! I spooned it into a little bowl and added freshly grated (absolutely never pre-grated) Locatelli cheese. PERFETTO!  A creamy, savory, warm bowl of love... il mangiare è pronto!

Mangia e statti zitto!