The Lore Behind Dean Martin's Favorite Italian Food Makes So Much Sense

Dean Martin was not only the King of Cool, but also a man of simplicity. While not entirely a foodie, Martin had his favorite comfort foods. This was reflected in songs like "Mambo Italiano," and famously "That's Amore," which references one of Dino's favorite meals, pasta "fazool," or less colloquially, pasta fagioli. Like many dishes, there are various ways to make the iconic Italian soup, which range from rustic and simple to complex; but Martin's favorite was the one made by his mother, Angela, which omitted a couple of ingredients and added in a classic, earthy, zingy spice.

Martin's love for pasta fagioli makes perfect sense, as he likely enjoyed it often in his childhood. Appearing on an episode of Hallmark Channel's Home & Family, his daughter, Deana Martin, shared her grandmother's recipe and a heartfelt story along with it. As the story goes, she was taught by Angela with the stipulation that Deana not teach or share the recipe with anyone. Typically, classic pasta fagioli is a hearty dish made with simple ingredients: its namesake pasta and beans, tomatoes, garlic, celery, onion, bacon or pancetta, along with rosemary in a pot of broth. Angela put her spin on the classic recipe by leaving out the tomatoes and garlic and adding a dash of cinnamon to bring out the flavors of the soup. After her grandmother passed, Deana made Angela's version of the soup to comfort her father, whose face lit up when she served it to him.

Interestingly, Deana Martin's upbringing sparked a debate between her and Sophia Lauren about the proper way to make pasta fagioli; Lauren keeps the tomato and garlic, but Deana felt that doing so made it too much like minestrone. Admittedly, Deana's point aside, she's right about the bigger picture of how it's made. Pasta fagioil is actually made a few ways depending on the region of Italy it's found (and will certainly differ from the bland fare found at Olive Garden). For instance, Tuscans blend part of the soup to make it thicker and creamier. Piedmont switches out the traditional Cannelli beans for Bolotti and may add potatoes to bulk the recipe a bit. Interestingly, those in Naples, where Angela is partially descended from, will toss in red pepper flakes and oregano, rather than omitting anything.

It's unclear why Dean's mother made her pasta fagioli the way she did, aside from making it distinctly hers. What is clear is how remarkable it is, given the impact it's had on Dean and his daughter. Although most pasta fagioli has meat like pancetta, pork, or even chicken, it's ultimately unnecessary. Ingredients like a vegetarian sausage are a great way to elevate flavor, mimic meat, and complement the other ingredients. Some may not think of it, but tossing in a Parmesan cheese rind would add a major boost of flavor to the broth, and could be the winning secret like cinnamon was for Dean Martin's mother.