I made a fresh batch of garlic beans to amp up the flavor (shout-out to this recipe). Canned beans work fine, but if I've cooked a pot of dried beans recently, this is exactly where they go, along with a little of that starchy cooking liquid. Beans, vegetables, and pasta are doing what they've always done: turning into a dinner that's affordable, satisfying, and good for me.
A few tips. I try to match the pasta shape to whatever else is in the bowl — little beans, little vegetables, little pasta. Salting the pasta water matters too. Pasta is just flour and water, so without enough salt, it adds texture to the soup but not much flavor. I've also heard every school of thought about basil. “Only use it fresh.” “Never cook it.” “Frying it is best.” The Italian-American part of me sees no reason basil can't show up in three different states. Some goes into the oil in the pot, some gets stewed in the soup, and a few fresh leaves land on top.
And before I move on, one warning: the marriage of pasta and beans should happen right before the soup is eaten, not a minute before. Otherwise, the pasta keeps absorbing broth until it inflates. I store the two separately and only bring them together in the bowl, right when it's time to eat.
