Best White Beans Pancetta And Pasta Recipes

WHITE BEANS, PANCETTA, AND PASTA

Steps:

• Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and the pancetta. Cook the pancetta for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes, garlic, and herb sprigs. Add the vegetables as you chop: carrots, onions, and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the carrots begin to soften, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any good bits. Wilt in the greens and escarole in bunches. Add the beans, tomatoes, and stock and place a lid on the pot, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until cooked al dente. Serve the very thick soup in shallow bowls with lots of cheese.

PENNE WITH TOMATOES & WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5-7 minutes to allow flavors to blend., Add spinach, olives, salt and pepper; cook and stir over medium heat until spinach is wilted. Drain pasta; top with tomato mixture and cheese.

PASTA WITH SPINACH, BEANS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Bean sauce -- In a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and saute the pancetta until lightly brown. Then add the onion, red pepper flakes and continue cooking until the onion is slightly soft and translucent. Then add the beans, salt and pepper, wine, chicken broth, and parsley. Simmer 10-15 minutes on low. Mash up the beans slightly with a fork. The beans will naturally thicken the sauce.
• Pasta -- While the beans cook, start cooking your pasta according to directions.
• Spinach -- Now . while the beans simmer and the pasta cook, lets make the spinach. In a large skillet heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter. Add the garlic and cook just a minute until lightly browned, then add the tomatoes and cook 3-4 minutes until they start to break down. Next, add the spinach and cook until lightly wilted just a couple of minutes, not too long. Add additional salt and pepper and cook until spinach is slightly wilted.
• Combine -- Drain the pasta, (reserve a little of the water) and toss with the bean mixture, parmesan cheese, and the spinach mixture. Add a little of the pasta water if you would like a little more sauce. I also like to drizzle just a bit of good olive oil the top. ENJOY!
• Some good toasted baguettes are perfect with this. Just topped with a little olive oil is all.

PASTA AND BEANS: PASTA E FAGIOLI

Steps:

• Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, and add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.

WHITE BEANS WITH PANCETTA AND SAGE

Steps:

• Put the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator.
• Drain the soaked beans, place them in a large pot and cover with fresh cold water. Put the beans over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Toss in the bay leaves and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 11/2 hours until tender. Drain the cooked beans and spread them out on a sheet pan to cool slightly.
• Put about 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow platter and season it with salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Toss the beans in the seasoned flour to coat completely.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta, fry for a couple of minutes to crisp it up. Toss in the sage leaves and fry for about 1 minute. Remove the pancetta and sage to some paper towels; now you have a flavor base. Shake off excess flour from the beans and put them in the pan in a single layer. Fry the beans for a good 10 minutes to form a golden crust on the outside of the beans, tossing to cook both sides.
• Return the pancetta and fried sage to the pan, stir everything together, and serve.