Pasta e Fagioli alla Napoletana

Method

1. Soak the cannellini beans in fresh cold water for 8–12 hours, then drain and rinse.
2. Place the beans in a pot with fresh cold water and a few bay leaves. Bring to a boil and cook for 2–3 hours. Do not add salt at this stage.
3. About 20 minutes before the beans are done, prepare the pork skin: scrape the surface, blanch briefly, then cut into strips about 0.5 cm wide. Also finely chop the celery.
4. In a large pot, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and chopped celery. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then remove the garlic.
5. Add the peeled tomatoes, crushing them by hand directly into the pot. Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Drain the beans (discard the bay leaves) and add them to the tomato sauce. Optionally, blend a portion of the beans to make the sauce creamier.
7. Add some of the reserved bean cooking water to the sauce, bring to a boil, then add the pork skin strips.
8. Add the pasta (tubetti or mixed small pasta) and cook until al dente. Season with salt.
9. Turn off the heat and let the pasta rest for a few minutes so it becomes creamy.
10. Serve with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.