Ingredients

  • 1 cup Cesare’s Cicercie Toscanelle Beans
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs rosemary

Instructions

  1. Soak beans, celery, carrot, onion, and bay leaf in one quart of water overnight.
  2. Transfer the beans, vegetables, and soaking liquid to a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
  3. Over medium heat, bring all to a gentle simmer, and cook low and slow for 2-3 hours, until beans are soft and cooked through.
  4. Season with salt, olive oil, rosemary, and let cool in cooking liquid.

Tonnarelli Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup 00 flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup milk

Instructions

  1. If mixing by hand, stir together the 00 flour and whole wheat flour in a medium bowl. Make a hollow in the center, and pour in the milk. Break eggs into it one at a time, while mixing quickly with a fork until the dough is wet enough to come together. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is stiff and elastic. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  2. If mixing with a stand mixer, attach the dough hook. Place all of the ingredients into the mixing bowl. Mix until it comes together, adding milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it forms a ball and is stiff and elastic. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Tonnarelli is an extruded pasta; you can either extrude this dough using an extruder attachment on your stand mixer, or you can make the dough shapes of your choice. You can also purchase whole-wheat pasta at fine specialty stores.

Garnish

Ingredients

  • 1 two-inch piece rosemary sprig
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup bonito flakes
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to taste
  • Tuscan olive oil to taste
  • chili flakes

Instructions

  1. In a large sauté pan, toast garlic in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until golden, then add rosemary, and let fry lightly in the oil.
  2. When garlic is golden brown, remove from heat.
  3. Bloom chili flakes in this oil to “open up,” about 10 seconds.
  4. Deglaze with bean cooking liquid, and add a 2-ounce ladle of beans with mirepoix.
  5. Cook the whole-wheat pasta for 5 to 7 minutes.
  6. Combine bean, liquid, and cooked pasta, finish with Tuscan olive oil, and a small handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
  7. Toss with tongs quickly, then plate, and garnish with bonito flakes.
  8. Serve right away.