Pasta and cannellini beans, in winter and summer

Pasta and beans is truly a classic of our tradition. There are countless recipes for it, and although it's considered a humble dish, in its simplicity it's actually a rich and complete dish, providing us with all the amino acids we need.

Although we usually associate it with the colder months, it's actually excellent in summer too: enjoying something creamy, cozy, and perhaps even warm isn't a bad thing, even in the heat. If we plan ahead, we can start with dried cannellini beans, but if we suddenly crave this dish, we can also use pre-cooked beans. The only recommendation is to choose an organic product, stored in a glass jar rather than a can. For this dish, I chose an artisanal pasta like this organic cavatelli made with ancient Senatore Cappelli wheat.

• 70g of organic Cavatelli made from ancient Senatore Cappelli wheat
• 1 jar of Cannellini beans
• ½ onion
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 sage leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• Vegetable broth (I'll explain how to make it below)
• Whole sea salt

For the vegetable broth:

• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 onion
• 2 liters of water
• A pinch of salt

• Slice the onion and sauté it in a saucepan with oil and bay leaves. When it is slightly wilted and golden, add half the beans, the finely chopped sage, the tied rosemary (this will add flavor without leaving needles during cooking), a pinch of salt, and let it cook for a minute, stirring.
• Then add the organic pasta, cover with the vegetable broth (about 300-350 ml), and season with salt. Cook covered over low heat for a little longer than the time indicated on the package (about 15 minutes), until the liquid is almost completely absorbed.
• Meanwhile, drain the other half of the beans into a measuring cup, add a little vegetable stock and blend with a hand blender until you obtain a velvety cream.
• Toward the end of cooking, add the cream to the pasta and beans and adjust the creaminess to taste by adding a little vegetable broth. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Continue cooking for a couple more minutes, then turn off the heat.
• You can enjoy it right away, or let it cool slightly and enjoy the cavatelli with cannellini beans while they're still almost cold. Either way, it's a very tasty dish and a delight on a hot day or a cool evening!

• Chop the vegetables and cook in boiling water for about 20 minutes. Let cool, strain, and store in glass bottles in the refrigerator. The broth will keep for 4-5 days.

NB: Don't throw away cooked vegetables; use them to make a tasty sauce for another pasta dish . Nothing goes to waste in the kitchen!