In Italy, a traditional Pasta e Fagioli is actually a soup, not a pasta dish.  It is usually a big pot of bean soup (whatever type of beans are on hand) studded with a bit of meat, aromatics, and a handful of pasta stirred in.  I love this switch-around version of the classic from Saveur magazine; this version actually swaps in more pasta than beans to make it a hearty main course bowl of pasta instead of beans and broth eaten with a spoon.  I used red beans from the pantry instead of cranberry beans as suggested, but any dried beans you have on hand will do just fine.  I like using dried beans in a dish like this because even after soaking overnight and cooking in liquid until tender, they retain a bit of bite in terms of their texture.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.saveur.com/pasta-e-fagioli-bean-recipe)

Tagged: beans, cranberry beans, garlic, Italian, Italian parsley, Italy, onions, pancetta, pasta, pasta e fagioli, pecorino cheese, Pecorino Romano, red beans, rosemary, Saveur, Saveur magazine