Recipe: Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients (4 servings):
-250 grams cranberry bean, recommended to soak overnight
-300 grams ditaloni rigati, or alternative short pasta
-250 grams of tomato sauce
-80 grams of prosciutto or pancetta
-30 grams of onion
-30 grams of celery
-30 grams of carrot
-1 garlic clove
-2 leaves of bay leaf
-2 sprigs of rosemary
-Black pepper
-Salt
-Olive oil
-Grated parmesan
Instructions
1. Soak your beans overnight to reduce the cooking time.
2. After 24 hours, rinse the beans and transfer them to a pot. Add enough water to cover them by about 2 inches. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 60–80 minutes, or until the beans are tender and fully cooked but still intact. Do not discard the resulting broth.
3. Chop the celery, carrot, onion, and prosciutto (or pancetta). Heat the oil in a pot and add the peeled garlic clove along with the vegetables. Sauté for 5 minutes. Then add the prosciutto/pancetta and cook for another 3–4 minutes.
4. Add the beans to the pot along with about 400 grams of their cooking liquid. Stir in the tomato sauce, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes
5. Take a couple of ladles of beans and puree them using a food processor, adding some of the leftover broth if needed. Set aside.
6. Add the pasta directly to the pot with the beans, along with an additional 500 grams of the remaining broth (add water if you’re running low). Stir occasionally until the pasta is cooked al dente.
7. Add the rosemary and the reserved bean puree. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
8. Stir to combine, turn the heat back on, and cover with a lid for 5 minutes.
Your Pasta e Fagioli is now ready! Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of good olive oil to finish.You can refrigerate any leftovers for a couple of days. Just add a bit of water when reheating on the stove.