Penne ai Legumi (Italian Bean Pantry Pasta Inspired by Fagioli)
Penne ai Legumi (Italian Bean Pantry Pasta Inspired by Fagioli)
This Italian bean pasta starts loose and brothy on purpose. Pasta cooks directly in the beans, creating a creamy, deeply satisfying vegetarian dish without shortcuts.
This dish comes from an Italian way of thinking about beans: use what you have, combine varieties, and let time and starch do the work. I like to freeze cooked beans in one-cup portions because Italians often mix beans in a single dish, not for variety’s sake, but for texture and depth.
Fresh rosemary and a Parmigiano rind give this a distinctly Italian backbone.
1 1/4 cups small dry pasta (penne, pennette, or farfalline)
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Step-by-Step (Corrected)
Step 1: Start the base
Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and leeks with a good pinch of salt. Cook slowly until soft, translucent, and sweet — no browning.
Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Garlic added to softened onions and leeks
Step 2: Build the bean broth
Add the pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils, rosemary, Parm rind, and all the water. The pot should look very loose and brothy — more soup than sauce at this point.
Bring to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat and simmer. Skim any foam that rises to the top with a ladle.
Beans naturally release some foam when they first come to a boil. Skim this off for a cleaner, purer flavor.
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Cook’s Callout: Don’t Skip the Skim
When beans first come to a boil, they release starches and proteins that rise to the surface as foam. Skimming this off in the first 10–15 minutes gives you a cleaner-tasting broth and lets the natural flavor of the beans (and that Parm rind) shine through.
Bean broth after skimming the foam — clearer, cleaner, and ready to build flavor.
Step 3: Simmer until the broth turns creamy
Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the liquid turns cloudy and lightly thickened from the bean starch — about 30–40 minutes.
Remove and discard the Parm rind.
You’re not reducing aggressively here. You want enough liquid left to cook the pasta.
Bean broth thickened but still loose and spoonable
Step 4: Cook the pasta directly in the beans
Add the dry pasta straight into the pot. Stir well to prevent sticking and keep the heat at a steady simmer.
Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the broth tightens into a creamy, cohesive sauce, about 8 minutes. Add small splashes of hot water if needed to keep things loose while the pasta finishes.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Pasta cooking directly in the beans, sauce forming naturally
To Serve
Spoon into warm bowls. Finish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
This dish lives between soup and pasta. The starch from the beans and pasta does the work for you. No cream, no tricks — just patience and enough liquid.
Finished bowl with Parmigiano and good extra virgin olive oil
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