‘Pure winter comfort’: Shortcut bean and pasta stew with pancetta and rosemary

Name: ‘Pure winter comfort’: Shortcut bean and pasta stew with pancetta and rosemary
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 large brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 celery stalks, washed and roughly chopped; ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving; 100g smoked speck or pancetta, diced into small pieces (optional, omit for vegetarian); salt and black pepper; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped; 5 sage sprigs, leaves picked and chopped, plus extra to garnish (optional); 2 cans borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock; 1 parmesan rind; 150g small pasta shells (or thimble-sized ditalini); grated parmigiano reggiano, to serve

Danielle Alvarez

June 27, 2025

This cheat’s pasta e fagioli is warming, fortifying and easily adapted for vegetarians. William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

This is a “pasta e fagioli” of sorts, but sped up for those in a hurry. Rather than soaking the beans overnight, before simmering them for several hours, I’ve provided some delicious shortcuts with tinned beans and good-quality chicken stock. This one-pot dish is the stuff of pure winter comfort for me: it’s warming, fortifying and easily adapted for vegetarians.

Ingredients

1 large brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, washed and roughly chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
100g smoked speck or pancetta, diced into small pieces (optional, omit for vegetarian)
salt and black pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
5 sage sprigs, leaves picked and chopped, plus extra to garnish (optional)
2 cans borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
1 parmesan rind
150g small pasta shells (or thimble-sized ditalini)
grated parmigiano reggiano, to serve

Method

Step 1
Place the onion, carrots and celery in a food processor and blitz until the vegies resemble a chunky paste.
Step 2
Place a medium-sized pot over medium heat, add the oil and then the speck or pancetta, if using. Sizzle for a minute or two to render a little. Add the vegetable paste along with a good pinch of salt and cook until super-soft and jammy (about 20-30 minutes). Reduce the heat to low if the mixture is browning too quickly. Add the tomato paste and herbs and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
Step 3
Add the drained beans, stock and parmesan rind. Bring to a vigorous simmer for about 15 minutes and season well with salt and black pepper.
Step 4
Turn off the heat and remove the parmesan rind. Carefully use a stick blender or stand-up blender to thicken the soup. Place the blender blade all the way into the mixture and pulse it a few times to puree some, but not all, of the beans. This will give you a thicker, richer broth. (Alternatively, ladle about one-third of the bean mixture into a stand-up blender, blend until smooth and then return to the pot and stir.)
Step 5
Add the dried pasta to the bean mixture, and cook on a medium heat until the pasta is al dente. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Step 6
Divide the stew between four bowls. Serve with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, more cracked pepper and grated parmigiano reggiano, then garnish with crispy, fried sage leaves, if desired.