The Times Magazine 37PASTA E FAGIOLI
Serves 4
“Fagioli” refers to the beans, with
pancetta or guanciale often
included for depth. If you have
parmesan rinds, toss these into
the soup when you add the stock.
- 70ml olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 sticks of celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 sprig of sage
(about 6 or 7 leaves) - Salt and pepper
- 100g smoked streaky
bacon, diced - 1 x 400g tin whole
plum tomatoes - 1.5 litres chicken stock
- 2 x 400g tins of borlotti beans,
drained and rinsed - 175g conchigliette
or ditalini pasta - 25g parmesan cheese
- Heat the olive oil in a wide-
bottomed saucepan and add the
onion, celery and carrots, along
with the sage. Season with a
pinch of salt and cook very
gently for around 45 minutes,
over which time the vegetables
will give up the majority of their
moisture, reducing in volume but
increasing vastly in sweetness
and intensity of flavour. - Add the bacon to the pot,
letting the fat render for a few
minutes before adding the
tomatoes, breaking them up with
a spoon and reducing everything
together slightly for 5 minutes.
Add the stock and three quarters
of the beans to the pot. - Using a potato masher,
mash the remaining beans into
a rough paste that will help
thicken the soup, before stirring
in. Bring to a boil and simmer
for 20 minutes or so. - While the soup is simmering
together, cook the pasta in a pot
of salted boiling water. Drain
and add to the soup. Taste and
season with salt and pepper and
a good glug of olive oil. Divide
between bowls and top liberally
with grated parmesan, olive oil
and extra black pepper.
Eat!
SOUP