Ingredients

o .5 POUND DRIED CANNELLINI (WHITE KIDNEY) BEANS

o 3 QUARTS WATER
o 1.5 LARGE IDAHO POTATOES (ABOUT 1 ¾ POUNDS), PEELED
o 1.5 SPRIGS FRESH ROSEMARY
o 1 FRESH OR 2 DRIED BAY LEAVES
o 6 SLICES BACON, CUT CROSSWISE INTO ½-INCH STRIPS (ABOUT 1 CUP)
o 2 CLOVES OF GARLIC, PEELED
o 2Tbls CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, MORE FOR DRIZZLING OVER SOUP
o .5 MEDIUM ONION, CHOPPED (ABOUT .5 CUP)
o 1 MEDIUM CARROTS, PEELED AND COARSELY SHREDDED (ABOUT .5 CUP)
o 1 CUPS CANNED ITALIAN PLUM TOMATOES,CRUSHED WITH THEIR LIQUID
o SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE
o ONE HLF POUND DITALINI OR 1.5 CUPS ELBOW PASTA
o FRESHLY GRATED GRANA PADANO OR PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CHEESE

Cold–soak the beans in advance: Dump the beans 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.

Pour 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 a gentle boil. Let cook while preparing the sautйed vegetables.
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 onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir
in the carrots and cook until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the
crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
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.
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 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 pureed beans to the pot.
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.
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.
Notes:
Sautéed bacon pieces, removed from pan and copped fine
Added half of bacon fat, onions and garlic, sautee until onions clear,
Add carrots, sautee until onions brown
Add tomatos, then add bacon back in