Pasta with broiled white beans, fennel and radicchio

Boil another half box of pasta.

Cut the stalks off the fennel and save them. Stand the bulb up, halve it and shave the halves as thinly as conveniently possible with the knife. Put on the sheet pan.

Pull any wilted outer leaves off the radicchio, barely shave the root end so the core stays intact, and cut into wedges held together by the core. Add to the pan.

Drain, rinse and tap the cannellini beans a little dry; add to the pan.

Season with pepper and salt, little salt on the beans. Add a lot of chili flakes, caraway seeds and olive oil, toss, flatten into a single layer and put under the red-hot top element.

Pick the green fronds from the fennel tops and chop them a little.

Broil until the beans start to explode and brown, four or five minutes total.

Drain the pasta, return it to the pot with only the beans and stir aggressively to mash the beans into a paste that binds everything.

Tip the pasta onto the warm sheet pan with the rest of the vegetables, drizzle fresh oil, scatter the chopped fronds and toss.

Variation, vegan: squeeze on lemon instead of grating cheese, and toss. Good warm, or chilled as a pasta salad.