Pasta e Favagioli!

On a scale of 0 - Sad I'm Sad:(

You see, all week I've been looking forward to going to Dons Bogam but my dinner date couldn't make it.. Dons is my FAVOURITE Korean bbq restaurant and the thought of missing it makes me pine... and how I pine for you my sweet, salty delicious umami defining bbq!

So I'm at home surfing through delivery.com and nothing cuts it. No I don't want Thai, No thanks on the Chinese (had dim sum this weekend), kebabs...Nah.... Had curry on Sunday....Although I'd love some Italian I don't know if I can deal with a massive bowl of pasta that I won't have the restraint to neglect..plus I've been doing Insanity and fear I'll let down Shaun T!

But now I kind of do feel like pasta...So I turn to my kitchen thinking I'll make pasta e fagioli but see some fava beans I bought from the market... Eureka! Pasta e Favagioli was born.

This is MmmmMmmmMmmmMmmmm delicious...yes that many Mmmmms!

This soup is warming, rich and healthy...it totally erased my pining for Dons;)

Ingredients:
2 lb shelled fava beens
1 white onion finely diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed
4 cups chicken stock (please make sure it's homemade or fresh from the store)
1 parm rind
1/4 cup parm cheese (for serving)
3/4 cup ditalini pasta
1 rib celery finely sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes or 2 roma tomatoes quartered
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add beans.  Cook for 3 minutes and drain. Remove the light green skins from the beans and reserve.

Heat a pot and add oil. Add the onions and celery, a good pinch of salt, pepper and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, allowing the sugars to release. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they collapse from their skins. Add the parm rind and bay leaf and cook 5 minutes more.
Add the stock, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add tomato paste, salt and pepper. Stir well. Add the pasta and cook until they're soft and chewy. Al dente isn't what you're looking for here. Serve with lots of freshly grated parm cheese!