Roman Style Tripe

5 quarts cold water

2 ½ pounds honeycomb beef tripe

½ cup white vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 ounces pancetta bacon, diced

1 onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups marinara sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

1 bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped

salt and ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste

Combine water, tripe, vinegar, salt, vanilla, and bay leaf in a large stockpot over high heat. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that accumulates. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Transfer tripe to a plate and set aside to cool. Reserve 1 to 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and onion; cook and stir until pancetta is browned and onion is translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir garlic into pancetta mixture; cook and stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes.

Stir marinara sauce, 1 cup reserved tripe liquid, and red pepper flakes into the pancetta mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cut tripe into 1-inch cubes and add to marinara-pancetta sauce; stir to combine. If needed, add 1 cup of the reserved tripe liquid. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Mix garbanzo beans and mint into the sauce. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve.