Noodles with Beans
A simple and versatile recipe, perfect for warm summer or autumn days, is our dish based on noodles and beans, to which we can easily add our favorite sauce and salad. The quantities are flexible, so everyone can adapt the recipe according to their own tastes and preferences. As a base, we use one part beans and one part noodles, and for the sauce, we suggest two parts of sauce, which can be made from tomatoes, roasted peppers, or even a creamy béchamel, and for meat lovers, a bacon-based variant adds a special flavor.
We start the preparation by soaking the beans overnight, which will help them become softer and cook evenly. The next day, we boil them without salt, along with the appropriate root vegetables, such as carrots and celery, adding onion and garlic. It is essential that the beans remain whole, both for bean salads and for stewed beans. An effective technique is to boil the beans together with whole tomatoes and potatoes; the acidity of the tomato and the starch from the potato help maintain the integrity of the beans.
After the beans are boiled, we drain them, keeping some of their liquid, which will add flavor to the sauce. Next, we boil the noodles according to the instructions on the package, draining them at the end, but also keeping a little of the boiling water. Now, it’s time to deal with the sauce. This time, we chose a sauce with roasted peppers. In a hot pan, we add two tablespoons of oil, sautéing the onion, garlic, and peppers in turn. Finally, we deglaze with a cup of the liquid in which the beans were boiled and season with salt and pepper, letting it simmer for about 7-10 minutes, during which the noodles will cook.
Once the sauce is ready, we turn off the heat, add a handful of fresh parsley, the drained noodles, and finally, the beans. It’s important to stir gently to keep the beans intact. This dish can be served immediately, but it is much tastier the next day, when the flavors have had time to combine. We recommend serving it with a fresh salad, which can support a garlic-based dressing, such as a green salad drizzled with yogurt sauce and a few drops of olive oil.
I wish you a good appetite and encourage you to use homemade noodles, which add extra flavor and texture to this dish. These traditional noodles, which are disappearing these days, truly deserve our appreciation.
Ingredients: Dried beans Homemade noodles Sauce (of peppers or tomatoes, meat or bacon)
