Authentic Pasta e Fagioli

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot and sauté the pancetta for 5 minutes until slightly crispy.
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 oz pancetta
Add the onion and continue to cook for 5 more minutes or until softened. Next, stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
Stir in the fresh rosemary and red pepper flakes, then add the crushed tomatoes (remember, without their liquid), cannellini beans, Parmesan rind and vegetable stock. Stir well to combine and bring to a boil.
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can (14 oz / 400 g) cherry tomatoes
3 cans (14 oz / 400 g) cannellini beans
1 Parmesan rind
6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the pasta and simmer for another 10 minutes until al dente. Stir occasionally to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Add more stock or water as needed if the pasta soaks up to much of the liquid.
1 ½ cups ditalini pasta
Once the pasta is al dente, remove the Parmesan rind, turn off the heat and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Serve hot with some extra freshly grated Parmesan on top and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if you like.