I love beans—any time, any way. And while my preference is to cook my own beans (see page 55), I’m the first to admit that sometimes a can of beans is a lifesaver. For this recipe in particular I have no problems using canned beans, and you shouldn’t either. Having a few cans in the pantry means whipping up this dish is easy—it’s one of my very favorite things to make when I want something super comforting to slurp up and stick to my belly while sitting around watching TV on a Sunday afternoon.

　　

Ingredients

serves: 4 to 6

　　Extra virgin olive oil

　　1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　Kosher salt

　　Pinch of crushed red pepper

　　2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

　　1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, passed through a food mill

　　2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

　　2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

　　1 pound ditalini pasta

　　Freshly grated Parmigiano

　　Big fat finishing oil

　　Chopped chives for garnish

　　

Step 1

Coat a large wide pot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring to medium heat and cook the pancetta until it starts to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Toss in the onion and season with salt and red pepper; cook until the onion is soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup water, season with salt, and bring to a boil (BTB); then reduce to a simmer (RTS) and cook for 15 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add the cannellini beans and chickpeas to the pot and cook for 20 minutes more.

　　

Step 3

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta two-thirds of the way—it should still be fairly hard in the middle. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta and the reserved cooking water to the pot with the tomatoes and beans. Continue cooking until the pasta is done, another 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

　　

Step 4

Serve sprinkled with Parm and chives and drizzled with big fat finishing oil.

　　Cook Like a Rock Star