Pasta e fagioli

• By Mark Camilleri

For 6 people, you will need:

600g of dried borlotti beans (soaked overnight in cold water), 75ml of olive oil, six fresh sage leaves, two cloves of garlic (crushed), dried chilli flakes (optional), 75ml of tomato liquid (passato di pomodoro), 120g of pasta known as ditali lisci no. 45, 75g of cubed pancetta, two potatoes (peeled and diced), two stalks of celery (diced), two carrots (diced), two onions (diced), salt and pepper.

Strain the beans and put them into a pot, adding cold water. Cover them and bring the pot to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for two hours. Remove half of the beans from the pot and blend them into a puree. In another pot, heat the olive oil, add the pancetta, sage, garlic and onion and cook until all is soft. You might wish to add a sprinkling of dried chilli. Pour in the bean purée and two litres of water, add salt and pepper, and stir in the tomato liquid. Add the potato, celery and carrots and simmer. When the vegetables are cooked add the whole cooked beans. Bring the pot to the boil, add the pasta and cook it until it is al dente. Serve the soup hot with a drizzle of olive oil.