The Dish: Pasta e Fagioli at Dante & Luigi's

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's soup season and today we're making an Italian classic that's been on one South Philadelphia menu for 125 years!

I headed to Dante & Luigi's where they unvaulted the recipe to one of their warm, hearty and famous best sellers: pasta e fagioli.

Pasta e fagioli translates to pasta and beans, and there are two kinds in this famous Italian soup: red kidney and cannellini.

At Dante & Luigi's, they serve it all year and ONLY on the weekends.

"We don't serve it all week," says owner Connie LaRussa. "We serve it Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It sells out every weekend."

It's easy, quick and nostalgic.

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"It's very simple," LaRussa says. "It's a peasant soup, really, because there's nothing fancy other than putting the prosciutto in it. There's nothing really fancy about it. It's beans and vegetables and chicken broth."

It's a dish that's been on the menu here for 125 years.

This opened in 1899 and it's been open ever since, continually," LaRussa says.

The restaurant opened as Corona de Ferro, and the names Dante and Luigi were added later.

They were the sons of the original owner.

There's a lot of history in the building at the corner of 10th and Catherine Streets, and a lot of buzz.

"In the 50s, there were the mob in one room and the FBI in the other room," LaRussa says, "and they would eat lunch together in different rooms and watch each other. This is a true story. We had a shooting here, which we never really liked to talk about too much, but that happened here."

There have been many star sightings and celebrity regulars, but the restaurant never publicizes that. Privacy here is protected.

Everything here is carefully preserved: from the recipes to the history to the ambiance.

"I think the most important thing about this restaurant is that we don't ever change what we are," LaRussa says.

Pasta e Fagioli

-1 tbsp olive oil
-1/4 cup Parma Prosciutto (or pancetta) diced
-1 onion
-1 carrot
-1 stalk celery
-2 bay leaves
-4 cups chicken stock
-1 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
-Kosher salt
-1 can red kidney beans
-1 can cannellini beans
-1 cup small pasta (ditalini is their preference)
-Parmigiano Reggiano to garnish

Dice the prosciutto or pancetta finely, then fry in the olive oil until the fat renders. Add in onion, carrot and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes over low heat until the onions are softened. Add the bay leaves.

Pour in the chicken stock. Stir to combine. Add the beans and tomato and a pinch of salt. Use a masher to get the beans soft. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the pasta. Al dente is preferred. Serve with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.