Pasta e Fagioli

If using dried beans, drain the soaked beans and cook in fresh water for one hour until tender but not mushy. Drain, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid. If using canned beans, simply drain and rinse. Mash about one-third of the beans for thickening.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for eight minutes until the vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelize. Add the garlic and rosemary sprig, cooking for one more minute.

Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for five minutes until the sauce thickens. Pour in the water or broth and the reserved bean cooking liquid. Add the whole beans and the mashed bean paste. Bring to a simmer and cook for fifteen minutes.

Add the dried pasta directly to the simmering soup. Cook for the time indicated on the pasta package, stirring frequently to prevent sticking on the bottom. The pasta releases starch as it cooks, naturally thickening the soup to a hearty consistency.

The finished pasta e fagioli should be thick and hearty, somewhere between a soup and a stew. The beans and pasta should be tender and the broth thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, then remove the rosemary sprig.

Ladle into warm bowls, drizzle with your best extra-virgin olive oil, and serve with grated Parmesan cheese on the side. This bean and pasta soup is the most traditional comfort food in San Marino, served in homes and restaurants across the tiny republic.