Is this not a thing of beauty? A bowl of cranberry (Borlotti) beans with homemade pasta in a sauce of bean broth, chicken broth, and vegetables. It’s moist and delicious but not at all soupy. A perfect balance of beans, pasta, and inspiration.
Last week Angelo Gorro of Omnivore Salt (and sauces, etc) came by for a visit and pulled out all the stops with his own pasta, his own salume, his own sausage and of course his own salt.
The variations on pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans) are endless. I have yet to meet one that I haven’t liked. You just know it was created to deal with leftovers. Or to feed a crowd on a budget.
The “Il Nostro Caro Angelo” in the title refers to a Lucio Battisti song. The poor Italians always have to suffer through my enthusiasm for their pop music. It’s fun until I’ve had a few and insist on singing. Here’s a nice version by Mina.
Out of season, canned tomatoes are fine. Angelo had found a can of cherry tomatoes and these were great. Along with the onions and garlic, he sauted a lot of celery.
One of my favorite people, Sarah Londsdale, played photographer for the day. Most of these photos are hers.
You probably know about the salt. The Sicilia sauce was new to me. It’s tomato-based and versatile. On a whim, I drained a cup of the beans and then added a spoonful of the Sicilia sauce and it was perfect. I think white beans would be just as satisfying, just different. Lots of people ask me for “recipes” and here’s a new one: Beans and this sauce. Ta-da!
Exact measurements aren’t possible. Angelo added the cooked pasta to the soffritto and then added the beans. Then he’d add more beans and more pasta until the combination was just right.
My favorite commercial pasta is Baia Pasta. Owner Renato Sardo also dropped by with his daughter for the big dish.
These are Angelo’s notes. If you’ve made pasta e fagioli before, this should be fairly straightforward. If you haven’t, don’t hesitate to download our Pasta e Fagioli Manifesto, including the Baia Pasta version.
As if the afternoon weren’t perfect enough, Angelo left me with some more of his pasta. Posso toccare il cielo con un dito.
LOL – aging eyes do it again!
I swore I read “You just know I was created to deal with leftovers.”
And thought to myself, “Well, of course, just as I was!”
Then I read it again.
I would love to see a Bean Lovers Vacation where I could spend 3-5 days learning all about beans. What bean for what dish, bean lectures, bean cooking classes or kitchen workshop…where after the vacation I go home with beans, recipes and know how. I see this as something that could favor different cultures. One vacation week Italian, another African, another Middle Eastern, etc. This type of Bean School Vacation would be fun.
I would fly across the country for a bean vacation!
Oh, sign me up!!!
Seriously, I would go on that vacation! Especially if it focused on vegetarian bean cooking.
What Pam said!!
A Bean Lovers Vacation – great idea. Where do I sign up!
I’m in!!
A bean-eater’s dream….several days to learn mote about beans and prepare diverse bean recipes.
Pam got it right!
A bean-eater’s dream….several days to learn more about beans and prepare diverse bean recipes.
Pam got it right!
Count me in if you ever plan such a Bean Lovers Vacation series, as Pam suggested. I think you might have to rent a huge hall, given that so many people have already responded positively in such a short time 😉
Thanks Steve, love your writing, admire your palate. Thankful to know you. xx
I’d drive down from Oregon for a bean lover’s
vacation!
Suggestion : Why not choose Napa as the first bean vacation destination ? I live on Vallejo St. Napa, Ca ( down the street from my favorite store Rancho Gordo ) so that would be great for me.
Colleen Moore
Goddess Cove
877 Vallejo St.
Napa, Ca 94559
707-287-8706
Wow! This sounds like the perfect retreat, with like-passioned people. Count me in.
is there a way to print the manifesto?
and YES to a bean vacation
Right click on the link and Save As to your hard drive. Then open it and print as usual.
Or try Control P, or Command P on a Mac.