Pasta e Fagioli in Parm Broth

Servings: 4

My grandmother grew up in the depression, and the idea of wasting anything, especially part of an expensive ingredient like Parmigiano-Reggiano, would make her head explode. This soup uses the rinds that I accumulate and freeze until I'm ready to make it. It uses small pasta shapes like Ditalini or Conchiglie Pastina that will float easily on your spoon.

Ingredients

1 cup dried Cannellini or Cranberry beans, soaked for 8 hours 1 small onion, peeled and halved
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4-6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rinds
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 
extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups Semolina Artisanal Pasta Ditalini or Conchiglie Pastina 
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving 
cheesecloth

Directions

Wrap onion, garlic, cheese rinds, and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth so they’re easier to fish out later. Add them to a large pot with all of the remaining ingredients except the pasta– including salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook until the beans are tender, 2-3 hours. (Beans can also be cooked for 1 hour with all ingredients in a pressure cooker if you’ve forgotten to soak them.)

Remove the aromatics and test the broth for seasoning, adjusting as needed– it should taste saltier than you want the final dish because you’re also seasoning the pasta as it cooks in the broth. Bring to a simmer and add pasta, cooking until al dente, about 7 minutes. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with plenty of olive oil, cheese and pepper.