Three-bean pasta e fagioli are feel-good favorites. I make cozy meals for myself or for my family at the end of especially long days, on nights when I feel a cold coming on, or when we are in need of a little cheering up at your house.

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)

3 to 4 celery stalks, from the heart, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stems fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf, fresh or dried

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup mini penne rigate (with ridges) or ditalini

¼ pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds on an angle

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for topping

Method:

Heat the EVOO in a soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the celery, onions, carrot, garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes to soften the vegetables.

Stir in the tomato paste, cannellini beans, and chickpeas for 1 minute. Add the stock and 3 cups water, cover, and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and simmer in the soup for 5 minutes, then add the green beans and simmer together for 3 to 4 more minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the beans are cooked through.

Turn off the heat and add the juice and zest of the lemon and the parsley; adjust the salt and pepper.

Discard the bay leaf. Serve in shallow bowls and sprinkle cheese on top.