I used navy beans but think I’ll go with the suggested cannellini beans next time as they are bit more hefty. Plus, all that work of cooking down the soffrito is totally worth it. It is incredibly seasoned with the addition of the Parmesan rind and ham hock. The dreaded crusty bread should be avoided, though.

I liked how the saltiness of the soup 🍲 and the softness of the pasta was delicious. We make it as described except we use canned cannellini beans and add chicken stock to make up for the liquid. My partner and I just call this “The Soup”. Top with Parmesan, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. The noodles will absorb all the available liquid and the liquid will be thick and gummy.) Step 5ĭivide soup among bowls. (Do not try to skip a step by cooking the pasta in the soup. Drain pasta and add to soup, then taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Step 4Ĭook pasta in a large pot of boiling well-salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions. Return meat to soup discard bone and any large pieces of fat. Remove ham hock and use a fork to pull meat off the bone. Cook soup with lid askew, adding water (or stock, if you have it) as needed to keep beans submerged by 1', until beans are very tender, 1–3 hours, depending on size and age of beans. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a gentle simmer. Bring to a boil, then add Parmesan rinds (if using) and bay leaves. Step 3Īdd beans and their soaking liquid, tomatoes, and kale season with salt and pepper. Add ham hock and cook, uncovered, stirring and scraping bottom of pot every 5 minutes, until soffritto is starting to brown in places and has lost at least half of its volume, about 10 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook, stirring every 5 minutes or so and reducing heat if mixture starts to brown, until vegetables are softened and juicy, about 15 minutes. The goal at this stage is to slow cook the soffritto until the vegetables are very soft but have not taken on any color. Add chopped vegetables, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables start to sweat out some of their liquid, about 4 minutes. Heat ⅓ cup oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium. Pulse carrots, leek, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove pot from heat, stir in a palmful of salt, cover pot, and let beans sit 1 hour. If you haven’t soaked the beans, do a power soak: Place beans in a large pot, cover with water by 1', and bring to a boil over high heat.

Carla lalli music