Pasta and Beans

1. Stage

Cold-soak the beans in advance: Dump them into a 2-to-3-quart container, and pour in enough cold water to cover them by at least 4 inches. Let soak in a cool place at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain well.

2. Stage

Pour the 6 quarts water into a tall, large (at least 10-quart) pot. Add the drained beans, potatoes, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Let cook while preparing the sautéed vegetables.

3. Stage

Process the bacon and garlic to a paste in a food processor, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then scrape in the bacon-garlic paste and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Stage

Pour two ladlefuls of the bean-cooking water into the skillet and bring to a boil, then pour the contents of the skillet back into the soup pot. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a slow boil. Cook until the beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5. Stage

Ladle about one-third of the beans, along with enough cooking liquid to cover them, into a baking dish or other shallow container where they will cool quickly. Let the beans sit until no longer steaming. (Wait until the beans cool completely before blending or processing; hot beans can cause splatters. If you must, you can stir the beans a bit to speed up the cooling process.) Process the beans and liquid in a food processor or blender until creamy. Return the puréed beans to the pot.

6. Stage

Fish out the potatoes to a plate, mash them coarsely with a fork, and return them to the pot. Cook the soup another 10 minutes to give the flavors a chance to blend. Let the soup rest off the heat, covered, 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Stage

While the soup is resting, cook the ditalini or elbow pasta in salted water until very al dente. Drain thoroughly, and stir into the soup. Let all rest for 5 minutes, then serve in warm soup bowls, with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano. Looking for more dinner options? Check out our pork chop recipes, chicken recipes, and potato recipes.