Ingredients
Method
Render the pancetta.
- Warm a thin film of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until the edges turn lightly brown and the fat renders.
Bloom garlic and rosemary.
- Add the garlic cloves and rosemary sprig. Let them warm gently in the fat for about a minute. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want heat.
Add and reduce the tomatoes.
- Crush the tomatoes by hand and stir them into the pot. Simmer until the oil starts to separate from the tomatoes. This removes the raw taste and deepens the flavor.
Stir in the beans.
- Add the cannellini beans and let them “insaporire” (take in the base flavors) for 1–2 minutes before adding any liquid.
Add broth and simmer.
- Pour in 3–4 cups of broth or water. Bring to a gentle simmer and let everything bubble until the flavors round out.
Mash some beans for thickness.
- With the back of a spoon, mash a small handful of beans against the side of the pot to naturally thicken the soup.
Parboil the pasta.
- In a separate pot, boil the pasta until just shy of al dente. Drain.
Combine pasta and soup.
- Add the parboiled pasta to the pot with the beans and tomatoes. Stir and let it finish cooking for a minute or two so it absorbs flavor without getting mushy.
Season and finish.
- Taste and add salt only once the beans are soft. Finish with black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and a good shower of pecorino.
Notes
- Keep the soup thick and stew-like; add broth only if it tightens too much as it sits.
- Salt the beans later in the cooking process so they stay tender.
- If reheating leftovers, add a splash of broth to refresh the texture.
- For a vegetarian version, skip pancetta and add a Parmesan rind or extra olive oil for depth.