Pasta Con Fagioli
The Perfect Union of Rosemary, Lemon & Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS:
• 8 ounces campanelle or other short pasta
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve
• 2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 large fennel bulb, halved, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Two 15½-ounce cans Roman beans (see headnote), drained but not rinsed 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 cup)
DIRECTIONS:
• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 2 cups of cooking water, then drain and rinse with cold water until cool; set aside.
• In the same pot, over medium-high, heat 3 tablespoons of oil until barely smoking. Add the tomatoes, then cover, reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, sliced fennel and ¼ teaspoon salt, then cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds and pepper flakes, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the beans, broth and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cover, reduce to medium and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. If needed, add the remaining reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time to reach the proper consistency. Off heat, stir in the lemon zest and juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the cheese and additional oil for drizzling.
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