The Beauty of Peasant Food: Pasta, Beans, and Everyday Comfort
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In this episode of Hand Me Down Recipes, Kathie Lapcevic sits down with Christina Conte of Christina’s Cucina to celebrate one of Italy’s most comforting classics — pasta e fagioli. Together, they explore the beauty of peasant food and how simple, honest ingredients can create extraordinary meals.
Christina shares how this humble dish, made from pasta, beans, tomato sauce, and a touch of olive oil, reflects generations of Italian home cooking. There’s no need for fancy ingredients or complicated steps. As she says, “You can’t get something good from something bad,” a reminder that good food starts with quality basics: flavorful tomatoes, real cheese, and 100% durum wheat pasta.
Kathie and Christina also talk about the seasonal rhythm of cooking — how hearty, nourishing dishes like pasta e fagioli belong to fall and winter just as salads belong to summer. It’s food that warms you up and stretches to feed a family, the kind of everyday comfort that never goes out of style.
“Peasant food isn’t poor food,” Christina reminds us. “It’s resourceful, flavorful, and made with love.”
Where to Find Christina
Her blog: Christina’s Cucina
Christina’s Cucina on Instagram
Christina’s Cucina on Facebook