Pasta e Fagioli

Method

1. Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery into 5 mm pieces; this mix is the soffritto. Thinly slice the garlic and cut the pancetta into small cubes. Drain the beans in a sieve and rinse them once, and heat the stock in a separate pan so it goes in hot.

2. Heat the olive oil in a 20 cm pot over medium heat and cook the pancetta for 3 min, until its fat runs and the edges turn lightly golden.

   Add in this stepExtra-virgin olive oil 1.4 tbspPancetta (or bacon) 50 g

   medium heat

3. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook over medium-low heat for 8 min, stirring now and then, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are soft. If they start to brown deeply, turn the heat down a little.

   Add in this stepOnion ½Carrot ½Celery (stalks) 1

   medium-low heat

4. Add the garlic, the rosemary sprig and the tomato paste and stir for 1 min, until the paste darkens slightly on the bottom of the pot. Keep stirring: burnt garlic tastes bitter.

   Add in this stepGarlic (cloves) 1Rosemary (sprigs) 1Tomato paste 1 tbsp

5. Add the beans and the hot stock, bring to the boil over high heat, then lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 12 min. Scoop out a ladle of beans, mash them with a fork and stir them back in; this thickens the soup naturally.

   Add in this stepCanned borlotti or cannellini beans, drained 240 gVegetable stock, hot 650 ml

   high heat→medium-low heat

6. Remove the rosemary sprig, add the pasta and cook over medium heat for 10 min, stirring often because the pasta likes to stick to the bottom. If the soup gets too thick, add a splash of hot water. When the pasta is tender with a little bite left, season with salt and pepper.

   Add in this stepShort pasta (ditalini or pasta mista) 100 gSalt to tasteBlack pepper to taste

   medium heat

7. Turn off the heat, cover and leave for 2 min; the broth settles into a creamy texture. Ladle into bowls, scatter over the Parmigiano and finish with a thread of the remaining olive oil.

   Add in this stepParmigiano Reggiano, grated 20 gExtra-virgin olive oil 0.6 tbsp