Food for gay men: Pasta e fagioli
A creamy, rustic Italian soup made with fresh pasta and blended beans.
This is our recipe for Pasta e fagioli with handmade maltagliati - a creamy, rustic Italian soup made with fresh pasta and blended beans.
This is a dish that we cooked at one of our recent events.
Gareth Johnson
Ingredients
- These quantities serve 8 people - adjust as required
- This dish is suitable for vegetarians. To serve it to vegans, simply omit the cheese.
For the pasta:
- 600 g semolina flour (semola rimacinata di grano duro)
- ~200 ml water
For the soup:
- 6 x 400 g tins cannellini (or borlotti) beans, drained
- 1 x 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1½ to 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2–3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2.5 litres of water
- Vegetable stock powder, to taste
- Salt and black pepper (optional), to taste
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Method
1. Make the pasta dough
Place the semolina in a bowl or on a clean work surface. Add the water gradually, mixing with your hands. The dough will feel dry at first — keep kneading and add small splashes of extra water if needed until it holds together.Once the dough starts to come together, divide it into 2 parts to make kneading easier.Knead each piece for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover and let rest for at least 10 minutes at room temperature.
2. Roll and cut the maltagliati
Roll out each dough piece with a rolling pin, dusting both sides with semolina to prevent sticking.Let the sheets rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.Roll the dough onto itself (or around the rolling pin), and cut diagonally from left to right, then from right to left, alternating directions to make irregular diamond shapes — your maltagliati.
3. Make the bean soup
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and gently sauté the onions, carrot, celery, and garlic until soft.Add the drained beans, dried rosemary, and 2.5 litres of water. Stir in vegetable stock powder to taste.
Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and let it cook slowly while you prepare the pasta. This extended low simmer allows the flavours to develop and the texture to become creamy and rich. If the soup thickens too much, add boiling water to loosen it.
Once your pasta is cut and ready, bring the soup back to a gentle boil.
4. Cook the pasta in the soup
Add all the fresh maltagliati to the soup. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.Add more boiling water if needed to maintain a creamy, spoonable consistency.
5. Serve
Ladle into bowls and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Optional: sprinkle with parmesan cheese (some regions in Italy add it, others don’t)
Note on the pasta quantity and storage
- Any leftover dough can be wrapped and frozen.
- If you’ve already rolled and cut the maltagliati:
To dry:
- Spread the pasta in a single layer on a tray or cloth dusted with semolina.
- Let air-dry at room temperature for 12–24 hours, turning occasionally.
- Store in an airtight container once fully dry.
To freeze:
- Freeze once fully dry to avoid sticking.
- Alternatively, freeze in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a bag or container once frozen.
Gareth Johnson
Gareth Johnson
Gareth Johnson
