Pasta e fagioli is a traditional Italian dish – but in the Naples dialect, it becomes the minuzzaglia ammescata cu' 'e fasule. Usually, many different kinds of pasta are cooked with beans so that no pasta is wasted as we used to do in the peasant world.
Strands of tagliatelle are cooked together with maccheroncini and spaghetti all in the same pot with the beans for an excellent flavor. This soup can be more or less liquid, depending on how you prefer it: just dose the cooking water from the beans and you will have a thicker or more liquid dish.
The beans: soaked borlotti or cannellini
Pasta e fagioli Neapolitan-style is prepared with borlotti or cannellini beans depending on personal preference. The important thing is that these are soaked for at least 8 hours before using them. Once soaked, they will have a softer texture that will give more body to the recipe. To prevent them from hardening as they cook, remember to salt them only at the end.
Recipe for Neapolitan-style pasta e fagioli
Ingredients:
9 oz dried borlotti beans
12 oz mixed pasta
4 oz tomato purée
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 clove garlic
1 onion
1 celery stalk
4 oz pork rind
Salt
1 bay leaf
Extra-virgin olive oil
Red pepper
Method:
Soak the beans for at least 8 hours in cold water. Then rinse and put the beans in a pot with 3 liters of water and a bay leaf. Cook for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, clean and slice the onion and celery. Sauté them with a clove of garlic in a pan with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Brown vegetables and once golden-brown, add the pork rind cut into pieces. Cook for 5 minutes.
Then add the tomato purée and tomato paste. Let cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the beans with a little of their cooking water followed by the pasta immediately after. Finish cooking and add salt.
Season with red pepper and serve. If you wish, add a little bit of black pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil on top.
Check out the photo gallery to discover more tips on preparing pasta e fagioli.