‘The ultimate comfort food’: Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s bean, porcini and pasta soup

Name: ‘The ultimate comfort food’: Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s bean, porcini and pasta soup
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 10g dried sliced porcini; 80ml (4 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 1 carrot, finely diced; 1 celery stick, finely diced; 1 onion, finely diced; 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; small pinch chilli flakes; 2 x 400g canned borlotti beans, drained and rinsed; 2 fresh bay leaves; 150g cavatelli or similar small pasta, such as taccozzette, ditalini or maltagliati; small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped; sea salt, to taste

Julia Busuttil Nishimura

August 1, 2025

Finish the soup with a drizzle of good-quality extra virgin olive oil.William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4-6

For me, beans or chickpeas cooked in broth with pasta is the ultimate comfort food. Here, tinned borlotti beans are met with a broth made from soaking dried porcini, which creates an earthy and warming dish. I’ve used fresh bay leaves, but a sprig of rosemary would be a lovely addition, too. A short pasta shape is best to use so you get some with each spoonful. Don’t skip the drizzle of good-quality extra virgin olive oil at the very end; it makes the dish.

Ingredients

10g dried sliced porcini
80ml (4 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stick, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
small pinch chilli flakes
2 x 400g canned borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
2 fresh bay leaves
150g cavatelli or similar small pasta, such as taccozzette, ditalini or maltagliati
small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
sea salt, to taste

Method

Step 1
Place the porcini in a bowl, cover with 1.5 litres of just-boiled water and soak for 15 minutes. Set aside.
Step 2
In a large pot set over a low heat, warm the olive oil and add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic and chilli flakes with a good pinch of salt. Cook for 12-15 minutes until softened, stirring often. Add the beans and stir to coat.
Step 3
Increase the heat to high and add the porcini in their stock and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly reduced.
Step 4
Avoiding the bay leaves, transfer about 4 ladlefuls of the liquid and beans into a blender and blitz until smooth. Return the blitzed liquid to the soup.
Step 5
When the soup begins to simmer again, add the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes or until al dente, stirring often.
Step 6
Remove the bay leaves, stir through parsley, season to taste and serve with additional olive oil.