Autumn is not Autumn without a good plate of pasta and kidney beans accompanied by a glass of Nini, Marchesini red wine.

Those like us living in Veneto know this only too well, especially those culinary types. This nutritious and delicious soup, originating from the Roman inns is a traditional dish for farmers and labourers alike. In fact, the recipe is easy to make and uses typical products of those who work on the land, one being the kidney beans.

The borlotti variety is the one more often cultivated in the northern part of Italy and it is therefore, easy to find as a fresh product on the market stalls. The complete nutritional profile (these legumes are rich in protein, fats and carbohydrates but also cholesterol free) makes them a perfect ailment for a healthy recipe. We combine the beans in our recipe with an egg pasta – but they also go well with a short pasta like dilationi type – and bacon. You can alternatively, use lard or rind. The “pasta e fasòi” as it is called in the local dialect, is offered, in the Veneto region, as an autumn dish, during the time the pigs are usually slaughtered; it is possible in this way to use both the bones and pork rind in order to flavour the dish even more.

Ingredients

• 150 gm of short pasta or straccetti egg pasta
• 400 gm of pre-cooked borlotti beans
• 2 celery legs
• 1 onion
• 100 gm of bacon or lard
• Garda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• water, salt and pepper to taste

How to prepare the pasta and kidney beans

Simmer the finely chopped onion and celery and add the bacon (or lard).  Add boiling water and simmer putting the pre-cooked beans in the pan. If however, you prefer to use fresh kidney beans then you must first steam or simmer them in plenty of salted water for 10 – 15 minutes.

Add a pinch of salt if necessary then cook over a low flame with the lid on. When the beans are almost ready, add the egg pasta and cook for a few more minutes then, turn off the stove and let it cool. At this point, add pork bones or rind to taste.

We recommend a full bodied red wine with sour cheery and mature fruit flavours. Our Nini wine, a wine “ripassato” over the marcs of San Fermo and aged in the oak barrels is a perfect match.

Where can you buy Nini wine?  Pop by our winery in Lazise.