Dean Martin’s “Redbud”; Pasta Fagioli – IOTW Report

Dean Martin’s “Redbud”; Pasta Fagioli

Saturday, 11 December 2021, 18:00 Dr. Tar Uncategorized 22

Last month TMC premiered a documentary on the legendary crooner and all around bon vivant, Dean Martin. Here

The program featured extensive interviews with daughter, Deana Martin that really stressed the entertainer’s family-man aspects. One of the final questions Deana was asked was what she thought her father’s one driving desire, i.e. his “rosebud” ala “Citizen Kane.” Deana thought about for a bit and answered with absolute certainty “Pasta Fagioli” (pronounced: pasta fa-jewel).

It’s a basic bean and tubular pasta stew with a lot of variations.

I took a stab at making some myself yesterday, borrowing some from Deana’s family recipe and my old “365 Easy Italian Recipes” book.

Serves 8

  1. 2 Tbsp olive oil
  2. 1 medium onion, chopped
  3. 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  4. 30 oz can Italian crushed tomatoes in puree
  5. 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  6. pinch of hot pepper flakes (or 4 shakes of hot sauce to taste)
  7. 1 tspn ground cinnamon (Deana called for 1/4 tspn but I made the happy mistake of putting a full tspn)
  8. 2 cups Chicken stock
  9. 2 16 oz cans cannelloni (white) beans (substitute regular red kidney beans)
  10. 8 oz. tubetini pasta (basic elbow macaroni if you can’t find the fancy stuff)
  11. Grated Parmesan to taste at the table

In large Dutch oven or soup pot heat oil. Add onion and garlic, sauté 5 minutes to sweat. Add tomatoes with puree, oregano, cinnamon, hot pepper flakes and stock. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add beans and simmer 10 minutes. Add pasta and simmer another 20 minutes or until noodles reach desired level of tenderness. Serve in soup bowls, garnish at the table with grated Parmesan.

Note: You may want to double the recipe to have some for lunch next day.

22 Comments on Dean Martin’s “Redbud”; Pasta Fagioli

  6. The first time I had it was in Napoli, Mare Chiara, to be specific. The restaurant was giving out free sample portions. I was hooked.

    There is one thing in that recipe that’s missing. Diced prosciutto ham. It’s what makes it fantastic.

    I got the recipe from a Neapolitan grandma. Don’t doubt me about the prosciutto.

    11

  7. My recipe:
    2 cups white beans
    3 cloves garlic
    400 grams pasta
    1/2 cup olive oil
    4 oz prosciutto
    1 stalk celery
    6 stalks fresh parsley
    1 onion chopped fine
    hot pepper
    1 400-425 grams tomato

    Sautee garlic, celery, onion in olive oil
    sprinkle in hot peppers. toss in diced prosciutto. Then Tomatoes.

    Hint: this basic sauce can be cut in half and frozen because this makes a ton of food. Frozen stuff reconstitutes beautifully.

    I’m not good at recipe writing, as you can tell.

    5

  10. @PHenry, I can’t give away my recipe because then I would have to kill you all! Seriously, we make amazing Pasta Fagoli and will patent it one day when I am retired!! I’ll let you know when we have a tasting party!! Ghost is always asking me to market it along with our spaghetti sauce. Hey my dad’s name was Luigi – fuhgeddaboudit!

    Say your prayers everyday!

    God Bless us all!

    11

  18. Real Pronunciation is not ” Fa Jewel”, or what ever.

    “Pastahh Fa Joe Lee” – tough to convey in Type.

    “Fazzoool” is a fucked up Soprano, not even close to Italian, copy of a Calabrese dialect that is bastardized from a bastard for Hollywood.

    “Goomba Joe” – same shit. A Hollywood version of a real Italian Word that people who are so removed from Italian that, to their ears, sounds correct.

    I actually know some of these filthy wanna-be asshole Mobsters. When people talk like this, they ain’t in it. The real boys speak proper Italian. It is a test.

    Correct: “Com Par Eh Joe” – smoothed out and fluid. (lengthen the “ar” and slide up to “A”.

    Goom Bah – Bullshitter that will get eaten alive in Italy unless escorted by his Local relative.

    Trust Me, My Grandfather knew a few of the Rat Pack (Not Frankie)

    made suits for Mohamed Ali & Joe DiMaggio, Telly Savalas, etc.

    Bottom line, Dino Crocetti would have pronounced it correctly at home in front of his parents but Americanized it for the TV myth.

    Cheers!
    I’m sitting in my 1950’s decor basement listening to Roy Orbison with a Martini after having a few real Cannoli.

    4

  20. FWIW:

    PHenry’s recipe is MUCH closer. (real WOP?)

    Italians do not use “Hot Sauce”[fuck Hillary]. We use hot red Italian Chili peppers and CELERY which Dino’s daughter does not include.

    We also don’t puree the tomatoes. We beat the shit out of them with a wooden spoon in the pan. Think about it. Given Dino’s age, do you really think his grandmother or mom used an electric blender? We were poor back then. You should be able to see the small chunks of tomato in the very thick soup.

    Poor mans food, as meat was too expensive. Like today! FJB!

    2

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