Here is a recipe that I adapted from Rachael Ray's "Creamy Spaghetti and Beans". Risotto meets pasta e fagioli in this Tuscan classic.
Creamy Spaghetti (Risotto-Style)
2 ½ -3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2-oz. pancetta chopped into small dice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ pound spaghetti
½ medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, cut into a small dice
1 cup frozen green peas
1 fresh bay leaf (or dried)
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme (or ¼ tsp. dried thyme)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry white wine, eyeball it
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
A generous handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Place the stock in a sauce pot and warm it over medium heat then reduce to simmer. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil and the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the pancetta to brown slightly. Next add the garlic and spaghetti and toast the noodles lightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions and carrots, bay and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Soften veggies a bit, 5 minutes. Add wine and allow it to be completely absorbed. Add a few ladles of stock and stir the pasta. Keep adding stock a few ladles at a time allowing liquids to be mostly absorbed before adding more, as if you were preparing a risotto. Add the green peas when you add the last ladle of liquid. When liquids are absorbed and spaghetti is cooked to al dente, 12-15 minutes, stir in cheese. Adjust salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir another minute. Remove the bay and thyme stems. Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with lots of parsley. Serves two with leftovers for lunch.
The original recipes calls for white beans and a whole pound of spaghetti, so I cut it down and use green peas instead. It makes a pretty, colorful dish.