PASTA AND BEANS WITH FRESH FENNEL AND TOMATOES
This pasta e fagioli is a canonical dish all over Italy. You’re adding it to a fragrant tomato-fennel soup base — and at the same time making a very nutritious dish. Sometimes, this is served more brothy, sometimes thickened with pureed beans — you choose, whichever way you prefer. 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, diced 1 large or 1 1/2 small fennel bulbs, diced 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 Tbsp. for garnish Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. tomato extract or paste 1 Tbsp. smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón de la Vera) 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes (about 3 cups), with their juice 1 small dried red chili pepper 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked cannellini beans About 1 lb. soup pasta (such as ditalini or gnocchetti) Chopped fennel greens, for garnish
Combine the onion, garlic, fennel, 1/4 cup of the oil and a pinch of salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook gently until the vegetables are translucent. Add 1 cup water and the tomato extract, and let the liquid cook down until almost completely evaporated. Add the paprika and cook gently until the mixture is aromatic and colored. Add the tomatoes and chili pepper (or 1/2 chili pepper, if you prefer it less spicy) and cook until the tomatoes are falling apart into a sauce.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and add 3/4 cup of the cooked, drained beans. Puree until smooth, then turn the whole puree back into the saucepan. (If you have an immersion blender, you could puree the mixture right in the saucepan. It will not be as smooth as using a stand blender or food processor, but a little roughness in the texture is not a bad idea.) Add the remaining whole beans to the puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
In a separate saucepan or large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add salt and the pasta and cook. A few minutes before the pasta is al dente, drain and add to the bean and tomato puree. Simmer for a few more minutes, until the pasta is fully al dente, then serve, garnished with chopped fennel greens and a thread of oil. Serves 4 to 6.