First courses

Pasta and beans

Name: Pasta and beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 240 g Canned borlotti beans (drained); 160 g Ditalini or other short pasta; 100 g Tomato passata; 50 g Onion (about half); 60 g Carrot; 50 g Celery (one stick); 1 clove Garlic; 20 ml Extra virgin olive oil (two tablespoons); 1 sprig Rosemary; 500 ml Water or vegetable stock (hot); Salt (at the end); Black pepper

Pasta e fagioli rests on two things: a soffritto cooked slowly and the right amount of liquid. Blending part of the beans gives you the creaminess without cream or flour, and cooking the pasta straight in the soup releases starch that binds everything together.

Steaming pot of borlotti beans in tomato broth with black pepper, the base of pasta e fagioli, cooking over an open fire

Prep 10 minCook 35 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients for 2 people

240 gCanned borlotti beans, drained
160 gDitalini or other short pasta
100 gTomato passata
50 gOnion, about half
60 gCarrot
50 gCelery, one stick
1 cloveGarlic
20 mlExtra virgin olive oil, two tablespoons
1 sprigRosemary
500 mlWater or vegetable stock, hot
q.b.Salt, at the end
q.b.Black pepper

Method

1
Chop onion, carrot and celery into small cubes. Warm the oil in a pot with the crushed garlic and the rosemary, add the vegetables and cook on low until soft and glossy, without browning them.
10 min
2
Remove the garlic and rosemary. Add the passata and let it reduce for a couple of minutes, then stir in the drained beans.
4 min
3
Pour in the hot water and cook covered over medium-low heat. Take two ladles of the soup, blend them and return them to the pot: this is what makes it creamy.
15 min
4
Drop the pasta straight into the soup and cook it, stirring often and adding a little hot water if it dries out. Taste and adjust the salt.
10 min
5
Turn off the heat, cover and rest for five minutes: the pasta finishes cooking and the dish comes together. Serve with a drizzle of raw oil and ground pepper.
5 min

Tips

With dried beans, start from 120 g soaked for at least 12 hours: cooking time goes up to about an hour and the flavour is deeper.
Do not salt at the start: canned beans are already seasoned and the liquid reduces.
Leftovers thicken overnight: loosen with a splash of hot water while reheating.

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