Borlotti with Tuna & Pasta

You can see these beans all through the coco rouge in the south of France. I was lucky to find them from a local farmer here in my kent neighborhood. I have prepared them in the classic pasta e fagioli style. This is a fun recipe to try. The beans do not stay their pretty color once they have been cooked. Please note that they are very delicate in flavor. So do not go over board with the seasonings.
1 onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 stick of celery diced
3 slices of pancetta diced
1 pound of fresh borlotti *
* cooked for twenty minutes in chicken stock & bay leaf, then drained
1/2 cup of white wine
1 fresh bay leaf
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove minced
1 sprig of fresh lemon thyme
a small amount of fresh minced rosemary
1 cup of tube pasta
1 pound of fresh tuna
fresh parsley and olive oil

In a pan, saute the pancetta until golden. Drain and set aside. Now add the onion, carrot and celery to the cooking pot. Cook until the vegetables begin to brown. You will then briefly saute the garlic and chili flakes with the vegetables. Now add the chicken stock from the cooked beans. Then add the white wine, lemon thyme, rosemary, pancetta and beans to the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the ingredients have well melded.

 In a blender, puree half of the beans until smooth. Return to the pot.

Now bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for your pasta.

 At this time you will saute the tuna searing very briefly. You just want a nice golden brown color on the tops and bottoms. Season tuna with salt and pepper. Set the tuna aside.

Now cook the pasta of choice until just tender. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. To plate the dish you will place the pasta in a serving dish. Add a piece of tuna on top of the pasta. To add flourish to the dish top with olive oil and fresh parsley.