Jason Stoneburner is an expert pasta maker and chef with decades of experience. He’s the chef and partner at Stoneburner, Sunny Hill, and Stoup Brewing in Seattle.

Jason Stoneburner

Here at ChefSteps, we’re always looking for diamonds in the rough: humble ingredients that a little kitchen creativity can reveal as the culinary stars they always were. An affordable chuck roast can shed its tough texture to transform into a <a href="/recipes/flavor-packed-feast-worthy-chuck-roast">silky centerpiece that rivals any steak</a>. A pesky invasive weed can fit right in as a <a href="/recipes/course-6-water-and-oil-nick-s-nasti-salad-soup">gorgeous soup garnish</a>. That extra can of cranberry sauce that’s been sitting in your pantry since Thanksgiving can lend vibrant color and sweet-tart flavor to a <a href="/guides-tools/three-awesome-canned-cranberry-sauce-hacks">haute dessert you won’t want to save for the holidays</a>. But the humblest ingredient of all may be the unexpected hero of this out-of-this-world pasta dish: beans.But these are no ordinary beans. Controne beans are a smooth, white heirloom variety from the village of the same name, a rich-soiled comune in the Campania region of southwestern Italy. Despite their unassuming appearance, these little pearls have hidden talents, from a creamy, velvety texture to skin so tender it eliminates the need for soaking. Jason Stoneburner, pasta expert and chef-owner at <a href="https://www.stoneburnerseattle.com/home">Seattle’s Stoneburner</a>, pairs these creamy dreams with their perfect complements—sweet roasted peppers, tender squash vines, and robust <a href="/recipes/handmade-capunti-with-jason-stoneburner">capunti</a>—for a medley of textures and flavors that add up to so much more than a hill of beans. Whether you’re tossing it together for a weeknight meal or serving it as the first course for a special-occasion dinner, this truly unexpected yet utterly Italian dish is sure to emerge a star.*OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS: A Series From ChefSteps

At ChefSteps, we love to cook. And we love to share our top tips and techniques with you. But we’re not the boss of everything, and we learn from our friends and colleagues every day. That’s why we created Other People’s Ideas, a new series starring our favorite subject experts. These talented folks are here to help you tackle everything from soup dumplings to pizza pie—and have a ton of fun along the way. You down with OPI? Yeah you are. Let’s do this.*

An Unexpected Classic: Controne Bean, Roasted Pepper, and Squash Vine Pasta, With Jason Stoneburner