Pappardelle with Tomato and Pole Bean Ragout, Basil and Sheep Milk Cheese

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Pasta is comfort food. Our favorite pasta sauce for summer is very quick to make, featuring barely cooked fresh tomatoes—the perfect place to repurpose those tomato scraps left over from lunch, sautéed pole beans mixing things up for texture. Lean into the simplicity of this recipe and use a good-quality Italian dried egg pappardelle for its texture and ability to soak up sauce. We love Vermont Shepherd’s “Verano,” a sheep milk cheese from Westminster, VT, for its sweet and earthy balance, or ask your cheesemonger for their favorite young-ish Pecorino. 

Serves 6

kosher salt 
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 pound pole beans, stemmed and roughly chopped 
1 pinch (or more) chili flakes 
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
2 shallots or spring onion bulbs, thinly sliced 
2 cups roughly chopped field tomatoes 
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
1 pound imported dried egg pappardelle or 1 batch fresh pappardelle (find recipe here) 
1 stick unsalted butter, diced 
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in halves 
1 cup grated sheep milk cheese 
½ cup mint, picked and roughly chopped 
½ cup Thai basil, picked and roughly chopped 
½ cup sliced scallion (or spring onion tops) 

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a generous amount of salt. 

In a large, preheated skillet add the olive oil and chopped beans and sauté over medium heat, about 4 minutes. Add the chili flakes, reduce the heat to low and allow the chili to gently toast. Once the chilies are fragrant, stir in the shallot and garlic and season with a generous pinch of salt. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring as needed. If the garlic or shallots begin to color, reduce heat and add a splash of water. After about 5 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and the vinegar. Turn the heat up high to help the tomatoes break down and become juicy. 

Begin cooking the pasta, following the instructions on the package. 

Add the butter to the boiling tomato sauce. Add the cherry tomatoes to the sauce and check for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. 

Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl and add the bean-tomato sauce, herbs and half the cheese. Gently mix. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and remaining cheese. 

This recipe appeared in the Summer 2022 issue as part of a larger story: A Thistle & Leek Summertime Supper.