Il Cucinologo
EN

Creamy Pasta and Beans

17/11/2023

Pasta and beans is a classic Italian comfort food, perfect for colder days. Here is a recipe for a creamy version of this traditional dish.

Ingredients

  • 300g dried cannellini beans (or 2 cans of pre-cooked cannellini beans)
  • 200g short pasta (ditalini, tubetti, or other type of your choice)
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 100g pancetta cut into cubes or strips (optional)
  • 1.5 liters vegetable or meat broth
  • 400g tomato passata
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh rosemary or sage (optional)
  • Grated parmesan for serving (optional)
  • Chili pepper (optional)

Preparation

  1. If using dried beans, soak them for at least 12 hours. Drain, rinse and cook the beans in plenty of water for about an hour or until they become tender. If using canned beans, rinse them and set aside.

  2. Finely chop the onion, celery and carrot for the soffritto.

  3. In a large pot, heat a drizzle of oil and add the chopped soffritto and crushed garlic. If you choose to use pancetta, add it now and let it brown until it becomes crispy.

  4. Once the soffritto is golden, remove the garlic and add the cooked beans (if using fresh beans, also add some of the cooking water).

  5. Pour in the tomato passata and stir. Let cook for about 10 minutes.

  6. Add the vegetable or meat broth and bring to a boil.

  7. When the broth starts to boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally.

  8. If you want a creamier consistency, take some of the beans and blend them with an immersion blender, then stir everything back into the pot.

  9. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. If you like, add a pinch of chili pepper.

  10. If desired, add some fresh rosemary or sage for an additional aromatic touch.

  11. Serve the pasta and beans hot, with a sprinkle of parmesan and a drizzle of raw oil.

Curiosities

Pasta and beans is a dish of humble origin, whose regional variants are widespread throughout Italy. In the Venetian version, the use of rosemary is typical, while in other regions it is very common to find pasta and beans enriched with pork rind or other parts of the pig. Every family has its own traditional recipe, often passed down from generation to generation!