Pasta e Fagioli

By jeanniek521

Lidia's

Ingredients

• Ingredients for Trito:
• 1 1/2 cups dried white beans
• 3 quarts cold water
• 3 large baking (Idaho) potatoes, peeled
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peperoncino (crushed red pepper)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-size onion, chopped
• 1 recipe Trito
• 4 garlic cloves peeled
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Procedure:
• Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until very smooth. Stop the machine once or twice to scrape down the sides of the container.
• 1 cup canned peeled Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
• 1/4 pound ham hocks or fresh or smoked pork butt, or other meat for flavoring, parboiled
• 1 cup ditalini pasta
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Pick over the beans, discarding any stones or other objects and any beans that are discolored. Place the beans in a deep bowl and pour in enough cold water to cover them by at least 4 inches. Soak the beans in a cool place for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Drain the beans and transfer them to a deep, heavy 4-to 5-quart pot. Add the water, potatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, and peperoncino and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the level of the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium-size skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until light golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in the trito and continue cooking until fragrant and very lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
Scrape the trito mixture into teh soup pot. If using ham hocks, add them now. Continue simmering until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. If using pork butt, add it 30 minutes after adding the trito mixture.
Meanwhile, as soon as the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a bowl, mash them roughly, and return them to the pot. (The soup can be prepared to this point up to 2 days in aadvance and refrigerated. Bring the soup to a boil before continuing.)
Stir in the pasta. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the meat from the pot and cut it into 1/4-inch dice; return the diced meat to the minestra. (Alternatively, you can serve the meat separately.)
Remove the soup from the heat and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then serve it in warm bowls, sprinkled with the grated cheese.