Creamy Spaghetti and Beans
Risotto meets pasta e fagioli in this Tuscan classic.
Ingredients
- 6 cup Chicken stock, 5 to 6 cups
- 2 tbsp Olive oil, extra-virgin
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 lb Pancetta, chunk, small dice
- 4 clove Garlic, chopped
- 1 lb Spaghetti
- 1 Onion, medium, chopped
- 2 Carrot, small dice
- 1 Bay leaf, fresh
- 6 sprig Thyme, 5 to 6, fresh
- 1 can Cannellini beans, 15-ounce Roman beans or small white beans (recommended: Goya)
- Salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 cup White wine, dry
- 1 cup Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- 1 handful Parsley, flat-leaf, finely chopped, generous
Directions
- Warm the stock in a sauce pot over medium heat, then keep at a simmer.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat and brown the pancetta slightly. Add the garlic and spaghetti and toast the noodles lightly, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the onions, carrots, bay and thyme, season and soften 5 minutes. Add the wine and let it absorb completely.
- Add the beans and a few ladles of stock and stir. Keep adding stock a few ladles at a time as it's absorbed, like a risotto, until the spaghetti is al dente, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cheese, adjust the seasoning and stir another minute off the heat. Remove the bay and thyme stems and serve in shallow bowls with lots of parsley.