Cristiana's Borlotti Bean Soup
There are many differences between this year in Spello, and my here sojourn eight years ago. Certainly not having kids in public school changes the scope and tenor of my days. Plus, I’ve gotten past much of the comfort-zone-shattering that defines a first year abroad—I can communicate and understand my world enough to appreciate its beauty in a richer way.
And then there’s Facebook.
I know, I know. Like you, I’m divided on how much I love or hate the social media platform on any given day. But I’m finding it suddenly useful for connecting with my Spellani neighbors. Especially in a pandemic, when I we’re hardly hanging around drinking spritzes and swapping restaurant recommendations.
With Facebook, I see Sauro post a video of himself preparing a porchetta for the weekend and I’ll message him to order a share. I know it’s time to start looking for asparagus because of everyone posting photos of themselves with an armload of the wild stalks (to show me up, I’m just sure of it, I still haven’t gotten the knack!). And I can post questions about what to make for dinner and get fabulous answers.
For instance, I’d had this bag of borlotti beans in my cabinet for the longest time and hadn’t done a thing with them. I toyed with using my basic bean recipe, but that carries a Mexican flavor profile which I just didn’t think would work here (especially without the advantage of cilantro). I considered cooking it like I make white bean and sausage soup, but quite honestly, that never tastes as good as I expect to (I probably need a new recipe).
So on a whim I posted a question about what to do with my beans and got a swift response from my friend Cristiana. Cristiana is the real deal when it comes to cooking. I know this because with the pandemic, her work with her tour company Ciao, Andiamo has ground to a halt, so she’s taken to hosting on-line cooking parties.
I had all the ingredients in my kitchen, with exception of the herbs that I have growing in my garden. Ragazzi. This soup was so good, i found myself inventing reasons to stand over the stove to “give it another stir” and “check for seasonings” just so I could sip at the broth one more time.
Why does it work?
For two reasons.
You cook the beans in the herbs and seasonings without added liquid for five minutes. This seems to draw the savoriness deeper into the bean. They become flavor bombs.
You blend a cup of the beans with their broth and add that to the soup at the end, which lends a creaminess perfect for distributing the flavor and also balancing the soup.
And it’s so easy! I make mine with dried beans that I soak overnight and then cook until just soft, but you can easily use canned beans.
INGREDIENTS
serves 6 people
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pancetta, diced (you can substitute bacon, but make it as thick as possible and poach it quickly before using here as that smokiness will overpower the soup)
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stalks celery, finely chopped
1- 2 cloves garlic
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
half cup of white wine
4 cups cooked Borlotti beans (or similar)
1 cup diced tomatoes (or crushed)
3 cups of broth (use bullion if you don’t have stock laying around)
2 sprigs rosemary and sage
1 cup ditalini pasta (or other small shape)
Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat.
Add pancetta and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through (about 5 minutes).
Stir in garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Add salt and pepper and cook until slightly softened (about 5 minutes).
Deglaze the pot with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits that have formed on the bottom.
Set aside 1 cup beans with some of the cooking water.
Add the 3 cups of beans and herbs to pot, with just enough of the bean cooking water to cover.
Let it cook 5 minutes then add diced tomatoes.
Add 3 cups broth and let simmer until the flavors come together, about 30-45 minutes.
Bring soup to a boil and stir in pasta.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until pasta is al dente (about 8 minutes).
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Blend remaining beans and their liquid into a cream and add a few minutes before the end of cooking.
Serve in bowls garnished with a drizzle of good olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and parsley.
Buon appetito!