Pasta e Fagioli

Method

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1. Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water, and simmer 60 to 75 minutes until tender. Keep them in their liquid.

   Mark done Start 60 min timer

2. In a large pot, fry the pancetta in the olive oil for 5 minutes, then add the onion, carrot and celery and cook 12 minutes until soft.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

3. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomato purée and cook 2 minutes.

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4. Add the beans with their liquid, the Parmesan rind, rosemary, bay and enough water to make 1.5 litres in total.

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5. Simmer 20 minutes, then lift out a ladleful of beans, blend them smooth, and stir the purée back in.

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6. Add the salt, bring to a steady simmer, and tip in the pasta.

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7. Cook until the pasta is just done, stirring often — the soup thickens fast and will catch if left alone.

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8. Fish out the rind, rosemary stalks and bay. Rest 10 minutes off the heat so it thickens properly.

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9. Serve with a heavy slick of olive oil, plenty of black pepper and grated Parmesan.

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Chef’s Tips

• Keep the Parmesan rind in a bag in the freezer. It is the single best thing you can add to a bean soup.
• The soup should be thick enough that a spoon stands up briefly. Loosen with hot water if it goes past that.
• Cook the pasta in the soup, not in a separate pan. That starch is the recipe.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A rough Tuscan red
• Crusty bread
• A green salad afterwards

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate 3 days. The pasta swells overnight, so loosen generously with water when reheating.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.