Porotos con rienda — the Chilean bean, pumpkin and spaghetti stew

Because of the spaghetti: long noodles were added to the country dish of beans with pumpkin, and the strands hanging from the spoon reminded people of horse reins ('riendas'). The version without pasta is called porotos con zapallo, or porotos granados when made with fresh beans in summer. It is a winter, countryside dish that returns to the table in September as a filling meal for the day after the barbecue.

Yes, and that is the 45-minute version. Use 2 × 400 g cans of cooked beans (about 500 g drained), rinse well and add them with the pumpkin. Since they bring no cooking water, use vegetable stock instead of water to make up the flavour. The result is slightly less creamy because canned beans release less starch; crush a bit more pumpkin to thicken.

In Chile the classic is the tórtola bean: medium-sized, thin-skinned and creamy when cooked. Cranberry (borlotti), pinto or a white bean such as cannellini work well outside Chile. Soak for 12 hours (overnight) in three times their volume of cold water; soaked beans cook evenly in 40-50 minutes and do not burst. If you forgot to soak, boil them for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and leave covered for 1 hour: the quick soak.

The base recipe is vegetarian: beans, pumpkin, sofrito and spaghetti. Longaniza browned separately and added in slices at the end is the fonda version and the usual one at Fiestas Patrias, but it is not compulsory. It is also made with a piece of bacon or with chorizo. Without meat, a drizzle of olive oil and basil at serving supply the richness and aroma that are missing.

With the pumpkin itself: crush a third of the cubes against the pot once soft and the starch of the pumpkin and beans thickens the stew on its own. The spaghetti also releases starch as it cooks in the broth, which is the point of not boiling it separately. If it is still thin, cook 5 minutes more uncovered; never add flour, which leaves the stew pasty and raw-tasting.

In the fridge, 3 days; add a splash of water when reheating because the pasta keeps absorbing broth. Frozen it lasts 2 months, but the spaghetti turns softer: if you plan to freeze, store the stew without the reins and add them fresh when reheating, 12 minutes of cooking.

Soak 300 g of dried beans overnight and cook them for 40-50 minutes without salt until tender (or use 2 drained cans). Fry a diced onion for 6-8 minutes, add garlic, oregano and cumin and, off the heat, a tablespoon of sweet paprika. Add 300 g of cubed pumpkin and the beans, cover with 1.2 litres of water or stock and salt and cook for 15 minutes; mash a third of the pumpkin to thicken. Add 150 g of broken spaghetti and cook for 12 more minutes. If you like, brown 2 longaniza sausages separately and add them sliced at the end. Rest for 5 minutes and serve with basil.