Don’t toss those pasta scraps left over from rolling out fresh dough. Every time you use one of our rolling pins, you end up with those uneven trimmings and offcuts: that’s maltagliati, literally “badly cut” pasta, and it’s made for exactly this soup, our maltagliati soup.
Simmered together with creamy cannellini beans, tender zucchini, and just a spoonful of tomato paste for color, it turns leftover scraps into a proper meal. This is the dish we reach for at home in the Chianti hills as August turns to September, when the evenings start cooling down but the garden is still full of zucchini. Humble, a little rustic, and endlessly forgiving: exactly what fresh pasta scraps deserve.
Maltagliati Soup
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 medium zucchini
- 400g cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 200g fresh maltagliati (leftover pasta scraps/trimmings)
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Bring in the tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, letting it darken slightly and coat the vegetables.
Add the beans and broth. Stir in the cannellini beans and broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook, partially covered, for about 15 minutes to let the flavors come together. This should be brothy but not thin — more of a loose, spoonable stew than a clear soup. Add the zucchini. Stir in the sliced zucchini and simmer for another 6-8 minutes, until just tender but still holding its shape.
Cook the maltagliati. Add the fresh pasta scraps directly into the pot and cook for 3-5 minutes, until al dente (remember that fresh pasta cooks fast, so keep an eye on it). The pasta will release a little starch as it cooks, which helps thicken everything just enough to coat each piece. Add a splash more broth if it looks too dry. Finish and serve.
Spoon into shallow bowls or plates while still warm, with a drizzle of good olive oil on top.