Pasta fagioli with foraged horseweed, edible wild weedy plant

Pasta fagioli, pronounced pasta fazool by my Italian American in-laws, is a traditional Italian peasant meal whose name means "pasta and beans."

Like most peasant fare, pasta fagioli was derived of simple, affordable ingredients and cooked as a soup or a stew to make those ingredients go farther. It's warm, filling and nutrient-dense, with lots of protein, packing a ton of flavor in every bite. It's one of my all-time favorite soups!

The version I make is vegetarian, though you can add bacon, pancetta or prosciutto if you aren't tied to a vegetarian diet. Honestly though, I've never found that meat adds anything of value. Using chicken stock instead of veggie can be quite nice though. 

You certainly have this plant near
you somewhere

Horseweed is an incredibly common and abundant plant in the aster family. It can be found in all 50 states (introduced into Alaska and Hawaii), every Canadian Provence except Nunavut and the Yukon, throughout Mexico and in most of the non-island nations of Central America. It has been introduced into Eurasia and North Africa.

Horseweed is somewhat related to the herb tarragon, though not especially closely; I only mention it because they have a similar flavor profile, though horseweed tastes more like oregano and less like anise. I also think horseweed is less versatile, though certainly a flavorful, enjoyable herb in its own right. It has a mild version of the famous/infamous "aster" flavor. And it smells amazing. 

Because horseweed reminds me of oregano, I tend to put it in Italian dishes, egg dishes, and soups and stews of all kinds. I've made it in pasta fagioli before, but this is the first time I really feel like I got everything right--the base soup recipe and the horseweed balance--so now I'm sharing it with you. 

A nice patch of horseweed in my yard

Pasta fagioli with foraged horseweed wild plants

Serves 4-5 as a main course

8 oz (1/2 lb) small pasta, like ditalini
12 cups of broth or stock*
Two cans of white beans, cannellini or great northern, drained and rinsed
One can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
One can of diced tomatoes
Two large handfuls of young horseweed leaves, roughly chopped
4 oz parmesan cheese or cheese rind, cubed (omit for vegan)
1 large, sweet yellow onion, diced
1 entire head of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 stick of butter, or equivalent olive oil
Optional (omit for vegan/vegetarian): 2 oz diced pancetta, bacon or prosciutto 

1. Heat butter or oil in a large stockpot, add in onion and sauté until translucent.
2. When onion starts to brown, add in garlic, horseweed, and meat if you are using, continue to sauté until onion is caramelized, garlic is fragrant and horseweed is soft. Remove all from pan. 
3. Add beans, cheese, tomatoes and broth or stock to the pot and bring to a simmer. 
4. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. 
5. Continue to simmer the beans, stirring only occasionally, for around 30-40 minutes, until the beans are super soft, almost mushy. 
6. Using a slotted spoon, strain about 1/2 of the beans from the pot and add to the onion/garlic/herb mix you set aside. Try not to remove any of the tomatoes or the cheese, leave them in with the broth. 
7. Using a hand-mixer or food processor, puree the stock, tomatoes, 1/2 beans and cheese. This will make the soup thick and hearty. 
8. Add the pasta, the onion/herb/garlic mix and the removed beans back to the main pot and heat till warmed through. Season as desired with salt and/or pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread and/or a salad. 

*I used "Better than Bouillon" Italian Herb base

I really cannot emphasize enough how delicious this soup is. It's my favorite pasta fagioli version of all time!