What Julia Child was to French food, Marcella Hazan was to Italian: a cook, author and indefatigable champion of authentic, regional Italian cuisine. She passed away last week at 89, and this rustic dish, from her Essentials of Italian Cooking is a tribute to her.
This seasonal dish, from San Georgio near Verona, combines cranberry beans – also known as Borlotti or October beans – with olive oil, pancetta, sage, rosemary and parmesan, served over wide artisanal pappardelle. Its mix of unexpected combinations, authenticity (apparently it is a signature dish of the Dalla Rosa family’s trattoria, going back four generations), simplicity and sheer deliciousness make it a great reflection of Marcella’s legacy.
$12
(tax-included)
Add grilled Italian sausage or portobello mushroom +$3
(veg’n & gluten-free options available)
Len Senater is the founder and proprietor of The Depanneur, who happily cooks for his friends and neighbours every Tuesday night.
