Maltagliati e Fagioli — Emilia's Rustic Bean and Pasta Soup

The night before: cover the dried borlotti beans with cold water by 8cm and soak for 12 hours. Drain and rinse before cooking.

Place the drained beans in a large pot with the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and Parmigiano rind. Cover with cold water by 5cm — do not salt yet. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 60–75 minutes until the beans are fully tender but not falling apart. Season generously with salt, then leave the beans to cool in their liquid. Reserve all the cooking liquid.

In a separate large pot or Dutch oven, render the pancetta lardons over medium heat for 5–6 minutes until the fat has run out and the edges are starting to crisp. No extra oil needed.

Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot to the pancetta fat. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes until completely soft and lightly golden — not browned. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

Crush the canned tomatoes by hand and add them to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the tomato has reduced and darkened slightly.

Add the cooked borlotti beans (discard the bay leaves, rosemary, and rind). Pour in 700ml of the bean cooking liquid and 1 litre of stock, or enough to cover generously. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes to marry the flavours.

Remove roughly one-third of the beans with a slotted spoon. Puree them smooth using a stick blender or food mill, then stir the puree back into the pot. The broth should thicken noticeably into a consistency closer to a stew than a soup.

Taste and adjust salt. Bring the soup to a lively simmer. Add the maltagliati and stir to prevent sticking. Cook dried maltagliati 4–5 minutes (or 2–3 minutes for fresh) until just al dente — the pasta will continue softening in the hot broth.

Remove from the heat. Ladle into warm bowls immediately. Finish each portion with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a crack of black pepper, and grated Parmigiano at the table.