zuppa di rucola e pasta
for 6
1 kg rocket leaves, washed
100 g pasta shells, broken up
100 g dried cannellini beans, cooked (see here)
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 small dried red chillies, crumbled
5 salted anchovies, prepared (see here)
extra virgin olive oil
freshly grated Parmesan
Blanch three-quarters of the rocket in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain. Cool a little then roughly chop. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain.
Using a large, thick-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat and add the garlic and cook until soft and brown. Add the chilli and anchovy fillets, breaking up the anchovies by pushing them around the pan. As soon as they have ‘melted’, about 2 minutes, stir in the chopped blanched rocket. Stir to combine the flavours, then add 5 tablespoons of cannellini beans and enough of their cooking water to lubricate the soup. Cook for a few minutes and season. Add the pasta and the remaining fresh rocket leaves. Cook just until the rocket has wilted. Serve with extra virgin olive oil and grated Parmesan.