Pasta e fagioli – "pasta fasoi" in Venice, "pasta e fasule" in Naples – is cooked in every Italian region, and every nonna has her own version. It is half soup, half pasta dish: thick, creamy and warming, made with simple store-cupboard ingredients.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 jars Conserve della Nonna borlotti beans (or cannellini)
- 200g La Molisana pasta mista (or ditali)
- 1 tin Rosso Gargano peeled tomatoes (use about half)
- 80g guanciale, diced (optional – leave out for a vegetarian version)
- 1 white onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 sprig rosemary and 1 garlic clove
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock (Star stock cubes)
- Extra virgin olive oil, chilli flakes, grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Method
- Soffritto. In a heavy pot, warm 3 tbsp olive oil with the guanciale and cook until golden. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and rosemary and cook gently for 8 minutes.
- Tomato and beans. Add a few crushed tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beans with their liquid and the hot stock. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the rosemary and blend about a third of the soup to make it creamy.
- Cook the pasta in the soup. Bring back to the boil, add the pasta and cook, stirring often, for the time on the pack. Add a little hot water if it gets too thick – it should be dense but spoonable.
- Rest and serve. Turn off the heat and rest for 3 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of raw olive oil, black pepper or chilli, and Parmigiano.
Francesco's tips
- The secret is cooking the pasta directly in the soup: its starch makes everything creamy.
- In Naples they add a piece of Parmigiano rind while it simmers – try it.
- It is even better the next day: loosen with a splash of water when reheating.
Find all the ingredients at our shop at 110a Dalry Road or online with 2-hour delivery in Edinburgh. Buon appetito!
