cannellini fresca with bacon, sage, and rosemary

The other night I was browsing through The New Basics and came across this recipe. Well, actually, it doesn't really resemble that recipe anymore, but that was where the idea came from.

Imagine a large soup bowl filled with ziti rigati and an herby broth of sage and rosemary, white cannellini beans, browned bacon chunks, and baby tomatoes. Imagine the dark, gloomy, day that threatens rain, then changes its mind. Just take the soup spoons and dig in and I assure you you'll feel much more cheerful.

How to make it:

Make enough pasta for 4 people, drain, leaving a few tablespoons of cooking water in the pot. Put the pasta back in, drizzle a little olive oil over, cover, and set aside.

For the sauce:

1 large can rinsed cannellini beans

3/4 can of water ( using the same bean can)

3/4 cup chicken stock

4 T. olive oil

4 sage leaves, chopped

1/4th of an onion, cut into thin slices

3 T. browned, thick cut bacon, cut in slivers

1 T. fresh rosemary, destemmed and chopped

2 T. fresh Italian parsley, chopped

2 fat cloves garlic, pressed

a dash of hot pepper flakes

a large handful small tomatoes - cherry tomatoes preferred

salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan and simmer.

Cook for a half hour, or until the flavors have come together into an herby broth.

Warm the pasta up slowly.

Set out 4 large soup bowls.

Place two large spoonfuls of pasta in each bowl.

Using a slotted spoon, gently scoop out the beans and sprinkle on top of the pasta.

Tip the saucepan and drizzle some of the broth into each bowl. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil into each soup bowl.

Top with more parsley, sage, or rosemary, and serve.

Enjoy!