Italian · dinner
120m
Total time
4
Servings
480
kcal
medium
Difficulty
tap to check off
FAQ · Things people ask
You can, but the soup loses its signature technique. The partial puree only works properly when the beans are freshly cooked from dried — canned beans are pre-softened, fall apart too quickly, and give you less control over the final texture. Dried beans also release starch slowly into the broth as they cook, which canned beans won't.
Standard borlotti (cranberry beans) are the closest substitute and widely available. Cannellini work but produce a paler, milder result. The Veneto would accept borlotti without complaint.
Tilt the bowl — the soup should flow slowly, not sit rigid like porridge, but not slosh like broth. Adjust with the reserved bean cooking water, a ladleful at a time. The soup tightens significantly as it cools, so err on the looser side when serving.
Ditalini is the most common choice; tubetti, small mezze maniche, or broken tagliatelle all appear in Venetian kitchens. Avoid long pasta — it makes the soup awkward to eat and tangles as it absorbs the thick broth.
Related · You might also cook
In Rome, Thursday is gnocchi day — and this is the gnocchi Romans were eating long before anyone thought to boil a potato. Semolina rounds, baked until the Parmigiano crust crackles and the interior stays soft, is cucina romana at its most direct.
Lampredotto is Florence's most stubbornly local street food — the fourth stomach of the cow, slow-simmered in an aromatic broth, piled into a crusty roll, and finished with sharp salsa verde. The lampredottai have been selling it from carts at the city's markets since medieval times, and the formula hasn't changed.
Castelluccio lentils from the Sibillini plateau have held IGP status since 1997 — small, thin-skinned, nutty, and built to hold their shape through a long braise. This is the Umbrian way: slow soffritto, crushed tomato, a sprig of rosemary, and a serious pour of raw olive oil at the table.
Campanian by birth, Roman by adoption — mozzarella in carrozza is cucina povera at its most satisfying: a sealed bread pocket that traps the cheese so completely it's still pulling strings two minutes after you plate it.