Recipe: Evan’s Rigatoni with Pancetta and Borlotti Beans

SemolinaLA.

This recipe from my book Pasta Fresca makes great use of her rigatoni. It’s a simple farm-style sauce, combining pancetta, beans, and pasta, that is quick to make yet satisfies as much as any ragù. You can find Semolina LA products at the following stores and delivery outposts in Los Angeles:

Milkfarm Artisan Cheese Shop, Eagle Rock

Arroyo General, Highland Park

Grist & Toll, Pasadena

Lincoln, Pasadena

Poppy Cake Baking Co., Sierra Madre

Monsieur Marcel, Hollywood

Los Angeles County Store, Los Angeles

GoodEggs.com

Beachgreens.com, Long Beach

GaribaldiGoods.com

FarmBox LA

Out of the Box Collective

Rigatoni with Pancetta and Borlotti Beans

SERVES 4 TO 6

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ onion, peeled and finely diced

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely diced

5 slices pancetta, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 28-ounce can imported Italian tomatoes

1 can borlotti or pinto beans, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pound imported gnocchetti rigati

Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-high heat until it gives off its fat. Add the garlic and cook until it gives off its characteristic aroma. Put the tomatoes and all their juice through the coarse disk of a food mill directly into the skillet. Cook over high heat until the tomatoes begin to thicken. Add the beans and continue cooking until sauce thickens, being careful while stirring to keep the beans whole. Add salt and pepper. Cook the pasta in abundant boiling salted water until al dente. Quickly drain and place in a shallow serving bowl. Add tomato-bean mixture and toss carefully. Pass Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.