La Cucina Italiana - De Italiaanse Keuken - The Italian Kitchen

Pasta e fagioli, or pasta and beans, is one of the most internationally famous dishes in the entire Italian repertoire. It is, however, a victim of its own success, and is too often made badly, very badly, which is why I would never order this dish in a restaurant outside Italy. The real thing, however, is not at all hard to make at home. In fact, it is a great standby for weeknights where you don’t have much time and need to whip up something quickly. And the results are really wonderful on a cold winter night.

There are lots of authentic variations on the dish—the recipe varies from area to area and, I would dare say, from family to family—but here is the way I like to make it:

Ingredients (for 4-6 servings)

100g (4 oz.) pancetta2 or 3 garlic cloves, slightly crushedA sprig of fresh rosemaryA peperoncino (optional)Olive Oil3-4 canned tomatoes, plus a bit of juice500g (1 lb.) (or one large can) cannellini beans, pre-boiled or canned, drainedWater or homemade broth 500g (1 lb.) ditali or other soup pasta (see Notes), parboiledSalt and pepper, to tasteGrated pecorino cheese
Click for Directions
Via Mariano Pallottini