Pasta and Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 400 g Borlotti beans
• 200 g Short pasta
• 80 g Pancetta
• 1 Onion
• 1 stalk Celery
• 1 Carrot
• 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 to taste Salt
• 1 to taste Black pepper
• 1.5 l Water

Steps

1. If using dried beans, soak the borlotti in plenty of cold water overnight, then drain. (Skip if using cooked or canned beans.)
2. Finely chop the onion, celery and carrot together to make a soffritto.
3. Dice the pancetta.
4. Warm the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat and gently fry the soffritto with the pancetta and the bay leaf until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the drained beans, the rosemary sprig and enough water (or broth) to cover by two fingers.
6. Bring to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook until the beans are very tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes, adding hot water as needed.
7. Remove the bay leaf and rosemary.
8. Scoop out about half the beans with a ladle of their liquid, blend until smooth, and stir the purée back into the pot to thicken the soup.
9. Season with salt and black pepper.
10. Adjust the liquid so the soup is brothy enough to cook the pasta.
11. Bring back to a lively simmer.
12. Add the short pasta and cook directly in the soup, stirring often so it doesn't stick, until al dente, about 10 minutes.
13. Turn off the heat and let rest a few minutes.
14. Serve in bowls with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a grinding of black pepper.

Tips

• Borlotti (cranberry) beans are traditional; for a Lamon-style flavor look for them dried, but quality cooked beans work well on a weeknight.
• Don't salt the beans until they are tender — salting early can keep the skins tough.
• The soup thickens as it cools and the pasta keeps absorbing liquid, so loosen leftovers with a little hot water when reheating.