• Servings: 6
• Difficulty: easy

Ingredients
 200g dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight in cold water
 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
 125g bacon, rinds removed and chopped
 1 celery stick, chopped
 1 onion, chopped
 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
 2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
 3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
 100g uncooked penne or other short tubular pasta
 Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 Grated Parmesan or Grana Padano, to serve

Cooking Direction

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the bacon, celery, onion, carrot and garlic until the vegetables have softened, stirring often.

Add the tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes.

Drain and add the beans, cover with water and simmer gently for 1–2 hours or until they are tender, topping them up with water every so often.

Add salt and pepper once the beans have begun to soften. Remove a ladleful of beans, purée them in a blender and return them to the soup.

Add the pasta and cook until it is done a bit more than al dente.

Serve with pepper and a dribble of olive oil on each serving and pass the cheese.