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1
Combine the semolina and cold water to a very stiff dough at 55% hydration. Work the dough until it is smooth and cohesive. Wrap and rest. The dough should feel firm and resist the thumb — soft dough disintegrates in the bean broth before cooking through.
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2
Place the soaked borlotti beans in a large pot with the onion, celery, carrot and pork rib. Cover generously with cold water and bring to a simmer. Cook until the beans are just tender but still hold their shape. The broth will be lightly cloudy and faintly sweet on the nose.
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3
Remove the pork rib. Set aside a ladleful of whole beans. Pass the remainder of the beans through a mouli back into the broth. Return the reserved whole beans to the pot. The broth should now be opaque, thick and a pale ochre colour.
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4
Roll the rested dough to a thickness of roughly 2 mm and cut into flat diamond shapes — the tacconelle. Keep them on a lightly semolina-dusted surface. They should be firm, dry to the touch, and hold a clean edge.
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5
Bring the bean broth to a steady simmer. Add the tacconelle directly into the broth — this is where the dish lives or dies: the pasta must cook in the bean broth, absorbing its starch and releasing its own, so that the two become a single dense, unctuous mass. Cook uncovered and stir frequently to prevent the starchy broth scorching on the base of the pot. The tacconelle will double in size as they absorb the broth.
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6
Continue to cook, stirring, until the pasta is cooked through and the consistency has become thick and porridge-like — the dish should be spoonable, not soup. Draw a spoon across the surface: it should hold the furrow briefly before closing.
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7
Fry the guanciale slices until the fat is rendered and the edges are crisp. Crumble over each serving bowl. Finish with a thread of extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately, preferably in terracotta bowls.