Southpole pasta

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 250 g pasta, short (possibly mezze penne or similar)
• salt water
• 1 can of beans (borlotti)
• 1 medium-sized onion(s), diced
• 2 clove(s) garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 tomatoes (vine tomatoes), peeled, roughly diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig(s) of thyme
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 100 ml beer, dark
• 50 g bacon, streaky, in one piece
• 1 pinch of sweet paprika powder
• 100 ml beef broth
• salt and pepper
• possibly water

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Brown the bacon in a pot or large skillet. Then add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Meanwhile, add the rosemary and thyme. Increase the heat and deglaze with the beer and stock. Add the bay leaf and tomatoes, season with paprika and a little salt and pepper, then simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Drain the beans and rinse thoroughly with cold water, then add them to the sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes. If the sauce becomes too dry, simply add a little more water now and then. In the meantime, boil the salted water and prepare the pasta according to the package instructions. Remove the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf from the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Reserve some of the pasta water in a cup and toss the pasta with the sauce. If the sauce isn’t thin enough, add a little of the cooking water. But not too much, since this pasta fagioli recipe doesn’t refer to the soup. If you like, you can add a little parsley.