Pasta e Fagioli con le Cotiche
Traditional Italian pasta and bean soup enriched with pork rind and salami paste. Cannellini beans simmered with ditaloni pasta, braised pork skin, and salami in a vegetable broth base, finished with fresh parsley and olive oil. A rustic, protein-rich comfort dish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb cannellini beans, cooked
- 7 oz ditaloni pasta, driedsmall pasta tubes1:1pasta
short pasta shape variations
- 7 oz pork rind, cleanedpancetta1:1porkmeat
similar fat content and flavor
- 5 ½ oz salami paste, or ground salamiground pork1:1meatpork
milder flavor
- 1 clove garlic, whole
- 1 whole onion
- salt
- black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- parsley, chopped(optional)
- 1 glass dry white wine
- water
- 1 ¾ oz celery
- 1 ¾ oz carrot
- 1 ¾ oz onion, for broth
- 2 leaves bay leaves
Instructions
- 1
Rinse dried cannellini beans, soak in abundant fresh water for approximately 12 hours or overnight, changing water a couple times if possible, then rinse and place in pot preferably earthenware with 2 bay leaves and fresh water covering beans by 2-1 ⅛".
- 2
Cover and cook beans at low heat for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, removing foam from surface during cooking, salt in final 15 minutes, and set aside.
- 3
Wash carrot and celery, cut into large chunks. Peel onion and halve. Peel garlic and leave whole. Place all vegetables in pot with 1 liter cold water, bring to heat and cook approximately 20 minutes covered, adding salt in final 5 minutes.
- 4
Place pork rind in small pot, add 1 glass dry white wine and fresh water sufficient to cover, bring to boil, lower heat and cook approximately 1 hour 30 minutes covered.
- 5
Once cooked, drain pork rind and cut into small pieces. Peel onion and slice thinly. Peel garlic, remove inner germ and mince finely.
- 6
In pot preferably earthenware, lightly sauté minced garlic and onion in olive oil. Add salami paste, breaking it up with wooden spoon.
- 7
After approximately 2 minutes, add pork rind and beans with their cooking water, cover and cook at low heat approximately 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding broth as needed if too dry.
- 8
Add ditaloni and cook 9-10 minutes or package time, adjusting salt and pepper at midway point, finish final 3 minutes off heat covered with hot broth if needed.
- 9
Serve topped with fresh parsley and drizzle of olive oil.
Tips
Soak beans overnight or 12 hours for even cooking and better texture.
Use earthenware pot if available for optimal heat distribution and traditional texture.
Change soaking water during bean soak to reduce gases.
Remove foam during initial bean cooking for cleaner broth.
Salt beans only in final 15 minutes to avoid toughening skins.
Use wooden spoon to break up salami paste smoothly.
Add broth gradually in final minutes to achieve desired consistency.
Keep final cooking off heat to preserve flavors.
Good to Know
Refrigerate covered up to 3 days. Freezes well up to 2 months.
Prepare beans day prior. Cook broth and pork rind ahead, combine and finish pasta element day of service.
Hot in bowls with additional olive oil and parsley.
Common Mistakes
Salt beans early to avoid tough texture, salt only in final 15 minutes
Overcrowd pot to avoid uneven bean cooking, use adequately sized pot
Skip foam removal to avoid cloudy broth, skim surface during initial cooking
Add pasta too early to avoid mushy texture, add near end as instructed
Cook final minutes over heat to avoid flavor loss, finish off heat as directed
Substitutions
short pasta shape variations
reduces protein and fat depth
removes signature spiced element