White Bean Öreglebbencs | Hearty Great Plain One-Pot Dish

Cut the smoked bacon into small, even cubes. Finely chop the onion, and crush or mince the garlic cloves. Peel the potatoes and dice them into roughly 1.5–2 cm pieces. Dice the Hungarian sweet pepper and tomato into small cubes. Drain the canned white beans and rinse them thoroughly with cold water.

In a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or cauldron, render the fat from the smoked bacon over medium heat. If it releases too little fat, add a little lard as well, then fry the bacon cracklings until golden and crispy.

Add the dry pasta to the pot and, stirring constantly, toast it in the hot bacon fat until it turns nice golden brown and slightly blistered in places. Watch it very closely, as pasta can burn quickly!