FA Foodie Friday Pignolata and a Zippy Bean Soup

           It's time for another Foodie Friday, our favorite weekly Blogland event. Thank you to our gracious hostess, Michael , who is so generous with her talents and inspirations- not to mention her fabulous giveaways!

You can go to pretty much any Italian restaurant anywhere and find some version pf Pasta e Fagiole on the menu. Or, better known in any true American/Italian family as "Pasta Fazool". Some make it more soupy, some make it thick, some make it "white" (no tomatoes), and sometimes it's more of a sauce with beans. Meat is optional. Personally, I like it any way I've ever had it, but the beauty of Pasta e Fagiole is in it's versatility. Today's version is thick, somewhat creamy with a little kick from a bit of red pepper and some fresh ginger (my Italian is a bit rusty, but I believe my Nonna called it zenzero?- she firmly believed ginger could cure what ails you), and even better the second day. This was dinner last night along with some tender pork cutlets and an easy homemade foccacia bread.  

Today, I needed to use up some veggies in the fridge so I threw together a frittata for lunch and decided to grab my camera along the way.

I had to put this picture in because my son thought the freaky looking fork was "way cool!"

 Last, but not least, I had to throw in a sweet.

  Now, in Italy, cakes generally tend to be simpler productions than we're accustomed to here in the States. Sugary buttercream frostings and thick, super sweet cakes are not the norm.


   Pignolata is a Tuscan almond cake with pignoli- pine nuts. Each village has it's own recipe with some being more like a thin, dense almond flavored "brownie" and some being a bit more "cake-like". It's excellent with a cup of hot espresso and my grandmother frequently fancied it up with a spoonful of warmed raspberry jam on top. Personally, I don't think it needs any fancying- this is a comfort food of my childhood and needs no improvement in my book.

I don't generally use a recipe for most of my soups, but I tried to measure yesterday. Keep in mind that I'm still a little loopy from lack of sleep as my entire household was sick last week, but there's really no way to hurt this. Whatever you do, it will be delicious. 


By the way, some people use water as the base, others prefer a chicken or beef or vegetable stock. In Italy, it's common to use a mix, known as Brodo Misto or Mixed Broth. This could be a mix of chicken and beef or veal. The good, frugal Italian housewife uses whatever she has around. 
        For this soup, I used 8 cups of vegetable broth,  4 cups of chicken, and a little water

Pattie's Creamy, Zippy Pasta e Fagiole with Tomatoes

1 1/2 pound Northern beans (I had a 2 lb. bag that had been opened, so I'm guessing here)

about 1/2 cup olive oil
5 ounces ( about a cup) chopped pancetta (our market sells 5 oz. containers of diced pancetta- that's what I used)
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
3 stalks celery diced
about 1 1/2 cups chopped fennel
3 carrots diced
3/4-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (start with 3/4- don't overpower the soup)
2 tsp salt (I use Kosher)
about 1 1/2 cups chunky tomato sauce (I had leftover sauce so in it went!)
1 good spoonful of prepared pesto
2 tsp minced fresh ginger or 1 tsp powdered
1 bag baby spinach, steamed, drained, and chopped

     You can soak the beans overnight or do as I did. Cover the beans with cold water, bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit one hour and drain.
Heat olive oil in heavy pot and add pancetta. Saute till it starts to brown. Add garlic and saute 3-4 more minutes till golden and starts to crisp. Add the onion, carrots, celery, fennel, red pepper, and salt. Saute for 10-15 minutes till the vegetables start to soften and color. Add about 12 cups of liquid (I used 8 cups veggie broth and 4 cups of chicken broth), tomatoes and pesto. Stir in beans and simmer about 1 1/2-2 hours.
In small batches, puree 8-10 cups of soup (depending on your preference) in a blender with the ginger. Stir it all back together and stir in chopped steamed spinach. This can be served on it's own or over a bit of cooked pasta. I always cook the pasta separately and add to each serving to avoid the pasta getting mushy. Serve with freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

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Pignolata alla Patrizia

1 1/2 cups pine nuts plus more for top of cake, lightly toasted                                   

3/4 cup sugar processed in food processor with 1 cup almond paste till completely incorporated
3 sticks butter, at room temperature 
zest and juice of 1 lemon plus zest of 1 orange
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
4 whole eggs
 heaping 1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
4 large egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Cream the sugar, butter and citrus zests together (I use a stand mixer with the paddle).  Scrape down occasionally.
Add 2 cups of the flour and baking powder.  Mix until incorporated and then add 2 eggs, one at a time, mixing till completely incorporated before adding the second egg.  Add the remaining flour, mix well, then add the last 2 eggs, again one at a time
Add the creme fraiche and lemon juice and beat till smooth. As you continue mixing, add the lemon juice and incorporate. Scrape down the sides and bottom and mix well with a spatula.  In a separate bowl, with very clean beaters, beat egg whites on high till frothy. Very slowly add sugar and continue to beat till it forms stiff glossy peaks. Fold a third of the egg whites into the batter using a rubber spatula to combine well.  Add the rest of the meringue and fold in well until the mixture is combined.  I use my stand mixer on the very lowest speed. Fold in the pignoli  I used a 12” tart pan with a removeable bottom today because I can’t find my 12 “ springform pan :(  Spray well with PAM and spread batter in pan. Sprinkle some more pignoli on top and bake for 45-50 minutes till it tests done.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 30-40  minutes Carefully remove to a  cake rack to cool completely.  For the record, the spring-form pan works better- it was a bit messy getting the cake out of the pan today. When completely cool dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve plain or topped with warmed jam. This cake freezes well too.

As Always,

Buon Alimento, Buon Amici,

Pattie and Allie