Kidney Bean and Pasta Fagioli: ChefMD®
Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, June 25 and October 22, 2006
Show 317
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Want to get more protein into your diet? Don't think meat, think beans! A cup of kidney beans has 15 grams of protein, almost one-third of the daily value. Kidney beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar from going up too quickly after meals. So they're great for people who have diabetes or hypoglycemia. They're also rich in folate and magnesium, micronutrients that help regulate metabolism and lower the risk for heart attack and stroke. In one study, high bean consumption was associated with an 82 percent reduction in heart disease risk. Kidney beans can also boost your brain function. Just one cup has about 18 percent of the daily value for thiamin, a micronutrient that helps improve brain cell connectivity and cognitive functions, and may help prevent Alzheimer's disease Get more beans into your diet, with this ChefMD®-approved recipe for pasta and bean soup. Or as the Italians say, pasta e fagioli. Fagioli (fa-ZHOH-lee) is Italian for beans! Enjoy, and may you live 100 years!
Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Bean) Soup
Preparation time: 8 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
4 one and one-half cup servings
268 calories per serving, 12% from fat
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 carrots, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
One-quarter teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups low-salt vegetable or chicken broth
½ cup (2 ounces) uncooked whole wheat gemelli (small twisted pasta), such as Eden brand or ditalini (small tube pasta) or small shell pasta
1 can (14.5 ounces) seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained (such as Muir Glen brand)
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) kidney beans or red beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup frozen baby peas, thawed
One-quarter cup chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup grated Romano or Asiago cheese
Preparation:
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and carrots; cook 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute. Add broth and pasta; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and beans; return to a simmer and cook 5 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in peas; heat through. Ladle into shallow bowls; top with basil and cheese.
Substitutions:
Freshly shelled peas may be substituted for frozen peas; stir them into the soup with the tomatoes and beans. Great Northern or cannellini beans may replace the kidney or red beans.
Tips:
Leftover soup will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. For extra flavor, drizzle a small amount of rosemary-infused olive oil (Boyajian makes a delicious one) over the soup just before serving.
Nutritional Analysis:
Total fat (g) 3.5
Fat calories (kc) 32
Cholesterol (mg) 27.1
Saturated fat (g) 0.7
Polyunsaturated fat (g) 1.0
Monounsaturated fat (g) 2.0
Fiber (g) 8.9
Carbohydrates (g) 40.9
Sugar (g) 8.6
Protein (g) 19.3
Sodium (mg) 684
Calcium (mg) 245
Magnesium (mg) 44
Zinc (mg) 2.1
Selenium (mcg) 12
Potassium (mg) 888
Flavonoids (mg) 2.2
Lycopene (mg) 3.3
Vitamin A (RE) 11
Beta-carotene (RE) 6583
Vitamin C (mg) 29
Vitamin E (mg) 0.8
Thiamin B1 (mg) 0.3
Riboflavin B2 (mg) 0.3
Niacin B3 (mg) 5
Vitamin B6 (mg) 0.8
Folic acid (mcg) 55
Vitamin B12 (mcg) 0.4