You begin, as usual, with a soffritto of onion, carrot and celery—adding to the typical trio pancetta and a few sage leaves—sautéed in butter in a terracotta pot or Dutch oven. As for a minestrone, you should cut the aromatics rather larger than you would for a normal soffritto—into smallish cubes rather than minced. You don't want them to 'melt' but rather to retain their individual identities in the final dish. Season with salt and pepper as the vegetables cook gently.

When the vegetables are nice and soft, add pre-cooked tripe (see below) cut into strips and mix well. Allow the tripe to insaporire (absorb the flavors of the soffritto) for a few minutes, then add a splash of white wine and allow it to evaporate. Next, add broth to nearly cover the tripe, along with just a few spoonfuls of tomato purée.

Partially cover and allow to simmer over gentle heat for at least two hours, or until the tripe is tender. (The total time will depend on how well pre-cooked is tripe is.) About 30 minutes or so before the tripe is done, add boiled or canned borlotti beans or, if you can find them, fagioli di Spagna (Italian butter beans).

Serve with grated parmesan cheese on the side and crusty bread to soak up the rich sauce.