Follow us

Recipes

Pasta and beans: all the variations of the traditional dish


Pasta and beans

Everything about pasta and beans: classic recipe, variations and different preparations of one of the most famous dishes of the Italian tradition.

We are faced with a much-loved dish of the Italian culinary tradition: ladies and gentlemen, here is pasta and beans, a recipe whose exact origin is still not known today and which is prepared in all regions, from Piedmont to Campania, using different types of pasta and different legumes depending on the area.

Its origins, as we have said, are shrouded in mystery: it is certainly an ancient dish, already mentioned by Horace in 65 BC when he talks about a Lucanian soup not too far from the one we know today. But if chickpeas were used at the time, for the appearance of the real protagonists we have to wait until 1500, when thanks to the Spanish conquistadors and the Portuguese navigators the beans landed in the Old Continent , and obviously, also in Italy.

They will thus begin to be cultivated and used in many different recipes, including pasta and beans, which is prepared in different areas using mostly borlotti or cannellini beans. But now enough theory, and let's finally move on to practice: to begin with, let's see all the tips for preparing this dish, and then its most popular variations!

Borlotti beans
Borlotti beans

How to make perfect pasta and beans: tips

From the broth to the choice of ingredients, there are many little secrets and suggestions for preparing this dish to perfection and without errors. Here are some useful tips !

  • Beans : the choice of legumes is undoubtedly fundamental, but which beans to use in the preparation of pasta and beans? The two most common varieties are borlotti and cannellini, and if you use them dry, remember to soak them the night before, then rinse them the following morning.
  • The type of pasta : here, depending on the area, the format changes. A widely used pasta is ditalini, which goes perfectly with this recipe and with the brothy consistency of the dish, but if you want, paccheri will also work well, for a drier dish, or pasta ammischiata (or mixed), a typical Southern ritual when all the leftovers from the various packages were used and a single dish was created.
  • The broth : it is the soul of the recipe, and just like for risottos, here too a homemade broth can make the difference. Use onion, carrot, celery, a couple of teaspoons of tomato sauce or concentrate, but also potatoes, cheese rinds or other vegetables. Everyone has their secret recipe for a perfect broth and this is ours.
  • The fat : if you want to flavor the dish, this preparation is perfectly suited to accommodate different types of animal fat . Guanciale, bacon, lard, sausage… choose the one you love most and brown it in the pan. Obviously you can also maintain a plant-based version without any type of additional protein.

Now let's see how to cook pasta and beans in all its variations!

Fresh pasta and beans

Pasta and beans
Pasta and beans

Let's start sautéing and see the classic and very traditional recipe for pasta and beans! We chose to use an Italian-style sauté with the addition of bacon, flavor everything with rosemary and bay leaves and also add a little tomato puree , which gives a pinch of acidity to the recipe.

After sautéing, you go with the beans, then the broth and finally the pasta. The result is something truly sensational: seeing is believing!

Ingredients for 4 people:

  • 200 g of short pasta (ditalini)
  • 500 g of fresh borlotti beans (or 250 g dried)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 3 tablespoons of tomato puree
  • 80 g of bacon
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • salt to taste

Canned pasta and beans

Pasta and beans
Pasta and beans

If you are looking for a quick pasta and beans, then this is the version for you . The ingredients are practically the same as the original recipe, and the preparation is also identical. The only difference is that the beans are not fresh, and are pre-cooked.

This means that you don't have to soak them the night before, which is a mandatory process for dry ones, and cooking will certainly be faster. In about half an hour you should have done everything. Not bad, right?

Ingredients for 4 people:

  • 200 g of mixed pasta
  • 2 cans of pinto beans
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 3 tablespoons of tomato puree
  • 80 g of bacon
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • salt to taste
Read also
Pasta and beans, the traditional recipe

Pasta, beans and mussels

Pasta, beans and mussels
Pasta, beans and mussels

If the classic dish has an indefinite origin, here we have no doubts: we are in Naples , where the bean meets one of the pearls of the sea, the mussels! In this particular recipe it is better to use cannellini beans , whose more delicate taste goes perfectly with the flavor of the mussels.

But what are the secrets of preparation? The mussels should be opened in a pot with a lid, and the water resulting from the operation should not be thrown away, but filtered and kept aside. As for beans, it's the same: if they're dry you'll have to soak them for at least 12 hours.

Once you have finished the basic preparations, sauté them in a pan, then add the beans and the liquid from the mussels. You can cook the pasta together with the rest of the ingredients or part of it, and once cooked add the mussels and stir in oil and parsley. Oh, and don't forget the garlic and chilli, otherwise what kind of pasta with beans and mussels would it be?

Ingredients for 4 people:

  • 200 g of mixed pasta
  • 2 cans of cannellini beans (or 250 g dried)
  • 1 kg of mussels
  • 120 g of peeled tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 3 sprigs of parsley
  • 1 chili pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

Tuna and bean pasta

Pasta with beans and tuna
Pasta with beans and tuna

The bean and tuna pasta is certainly distant from the recipes we have just seen, however the main ingredients are the same, although everything is revisited in a simpler key . No broth or slow cooking, in this case. Here you need to prepare a sauce with beans, tuna, onion or shallots, and flavor it to taste .

We used capers, chilli pepper and oregano, but anchovies, olives, parsley or tomatoes would also work well. A quick and very simple sauce, but ideal for those who have little time and don't want to give up the combination of beans with pasta.

Ingredients for 4 people:

  • 360 g of pasta
  • 250 g of cannellini beans
  • 1 shallot
  • 200 g of tuna in oil
  • olive oil to taste
  • capers to taste
  • salt to taste
  • 1 chili pepper
  • oregano to taste

Neapolitan pasta and beans

pasta and beans
pasta and beans

What makes the Neapolitan pasta and beans recipe different from others? First of all the pasta format, rigorously mixed, recalling the old peasant tradition, and then the addition of pork rind when cooking the beans. The result is a rich and tasty first course, in short, unforgettable.

Ingredients for 4 people:

  • 250 g of dried beans (cannellini or borlotti)
  • 80 g of pork rind
  • 200 g of mixed pasta
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 100 g of peeled tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 red chili pepper
  • 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • salt to taste

Riproduzione riservata © - WT

Related Topics: