■In a soup pot or Dutch
oven, combine the beans,
tomatoes and their juices ,
stock, raisins, garlic, fennel
seeds, and 3 cups water.
Bring to a boil; boil for
2 ̨minutes. Reduce heat to
low, cover, and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until
the beans are tender, 2 1 ∕ 2 to
23 ∕ 4 hours, adding 1 ∕ 4 cup
more water at a time as
needed. Season with salt
and pepper.
■Add the tortellini, increase
the heat, and bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce the heat to
low, and simmer until the
tortellini is cooked through,
about 10 minutes. Season.Italian Bean &
Tortellini Soup
SERVES 4
1 cup dried small white
or nav y beans
1 14.5-oz. can diced
tomatoes with Italian
herbs
1 cup vegetable stock
6 tbsp. golden raisins
5 large cloves garlic,
crushed
21∕2 tsp. fennel seeds,
crushed
Kosher salt and pepper
10 oz. frozen cheese
tortellini
1∕2 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp. chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
1∕4 cup EVOO■Serve the soup in shallow
bowls. Sprinkle with
Parmesan. Garnish with the
parsley and drizzle with
EVOO.
■FOR THE SLOW COOKER
Combine the first six
ingredients plus 3 cups
water in a slow cooker.
Season with salt and
pepper. Cover and cook on
high until the beans are
tender, about 6 hours.
Add the tortellini; cover
and cook until al dente,
about 20 minutes. Continue
as directed.FROZEN PASTA Why use frozen stuffed pasta? It saves time! Dried stuffed
pastas can take a long time to cook, especially in a simmering soup instead of fast-boiling
water. (Bonus: The frozen pasta soaks up lots of good flavor from the broth.)