PASTA AND BEANS

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Pasta and Beans image

Categories     Bean     Pasta     Side     Simmer     Boil

Yield makes about 4 quarts

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 pound dried cannellini beans
4 ounces bacon
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
Needles from 1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 pounds russet potatoes (about 6 to 8 potatoes), peeled
2 fresh bay leaves
6 quarts cold water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 pound ditalini pasta
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Steps:

  • Soak the cannellini beans overnight and drain.
  • Pulse the bacon, garlic, and rosemary in a mini-food processor to make a fine-textured paste or pestata.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the pestata, and cook until bacon has rendered its fat, about 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, make a second pestata (you don't have to wash the processor) by puréeing the onion and carrot. Add the second pestata to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has dried out and starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.
  • Scrape the pestata to one side of the pan to clear a "hot spot," add the tomato paste, and let cook for a few minutes, until lightly toasted. Stir the tomato paste into the pestata, and add the drained beans, the potatoes, and the bay leaves. Pour in the water. Bring the soup to a boil, cover, and let cook at a strong simmer until beans and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, uncovering to reduce liquid about halfway through the cooking time. Stir in the salt.
  • With a large wooden spoon, mash the remaining potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup. Return soup to a boil, add the ditalini, and cook until pasta is al dente. Season to taste.
  • Serve soup with a drizzle of olive oil and some grated cheese.

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