Abruzzo — the mountain interior. Pasta e fagioli is the daily food of the Apennine farmer tradition — beans provided protein when meat was scarce, and the pasta cooked directly in the bean broth was the technique of people who had one pot and one fire.
Every Italian region makes pasta e fagioli, but the Abruzzese version has distinctive character: borlotti beans slow-cooked with pork ribs, tomato, and rosemary until the beans are collapsing and the pork has given its fat to the broth, then the pasta (traditionally small maccheroncini alla chitarra, broken pasta, or cicchitelli — a local flat pasta) is added and cooked directly in the bean liquid until it absorbs the starchy broth and the pasta and beans are unified. The dish walks the line between soup and pasta — it should be thick enough that a spoon stood in it tilts slowly. The pork rib enrichment is specifically Abruzzese.
The Abruzzese pasta e fagioli is thick, rich, and complex — the pork rib fat rounds the earthiness of the borlotti beans; the rosemary and tomato provide herbal and acid notes; the broken-down beans create a creamy, starchy medium in which the pasta sits. The raw olive oil at the end brightens everything. It is the most satisfying version of one of Italy's most satisfying dishes.
Soak borlotti beans overnight. In a large pot, render diced pork ribs or pancetta until golden. Add soffritto (onion, celery, carrot, garlic). Add drained beans, chopped tomato, rosemary, and enough water to cover by 8cm. Simmer 1.5-2 hours until the beans are completely tender — pass one-third of the beans through a food mill and return to the pot for a thicker, creamier result. Add the raw pasta directly to the bean broth, season assertively with salt, and cook 8-10 minutes until the pasta is done. The pasta will have absorbed significant liquid — add boiling water if needed to maintain a porridge-like consistency. Finish with a generous pour of raw extra-virgin olive oil. The consistency should be dense, not soupy.
The pasta e fagioli should be completely different from what it looks like 10 minutes after cooking — the pasta continues to swell as it sits, and the dish thickens dramatically. Serve in warmed bowls to slow the thickening. A drizzle of the best available extra-virgin olive oil at the table is not optional — it is the last seasoning. Leftover pasta e fagioli (tightened to a paste) can be fried in olive oil the next day as cakes.
Under-cooking the beans before adding pasta — if the beans are firm when the pasta goes in, they won't finish cooking correctly as the pasta absorbs the remaining liquid. Not puréeing a portion of the beans — the thick, creamy consistency requires some broken-down beans to create the sauce. Serving immediately — the dish needs 5 minutes to rest and thicken after cooking. Using too much water — the soup should be very thick.
Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking; Slow Food Editore, Abruzzo in Cucina