Well, maybe it wasn't QUITE like Nanas....

....but it was good! The other night I was driving home from class thinking about what to make for dinner, and began to feel deeply guilty about the half an eggplant lying cold and lonely in the back of the fridge. Fresh vegetables (even on sale) are expensive! How could I let it go to waste? The solution: I modified a traditional Italian Pasta y Fagioli recipe, with surprisingly good results!

Pasta y Fagioli (moderno?)

• 4 servings whole wheat angel hair pasta (you could substitute another shape, but it does look elegant on top of the angel hair) $.40
• 14oz can of beans - your choice, white, kidney, or red work well $.69
• 1 tsp fresh diced garlic (substitute 1/2 tsp of garlic powder)
• 1 tsp each: oregano, basil, parsley
• 1 bullion cube dissolved in 1 c hot water OR 1/2 c of wine and 1/2 bullion cube dissolved in 1/2 c of hot water $.20
  
• 1/2 c diced onion (you can omit, if you don't care for onion) $.10
• 2 c diced of any of the following: mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant $.50
• Parmesan cheese (to garnish)

To Make: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Meanwhile, chop vegetables and heat oil in a frying pan. Saute the garlic, onion, and vegetables in the spices until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned. Add the beans (drained and rinsed) and the bullion water and/or wine. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer 5-10 mins. Serve over the angel hair and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Note: This recipe was an excellent use for "old" wine that has been sitting in the fridge for a while. We really like wine flavor, so I increased the wine to 1c and omitted the water - I just heated the wine and dissolved the bullion in that. Also, try to buy no or low sodium bullion when you can. If its slightly more expensive - it's still worth it!

Total Cost: $1.89
Servings: 4
Cost per serving: $.47


The verdict from the test subject (who is full-blooded Italian on BOTH sides)? He liked it! And he doesn't even like beans as a rule. I do, and I thought it was exceptional. Serve it with a tossed salad or crusty Italian bread - you can afford to with this meal!