Pasta e fagioli - soup with macaroni and beans

Ingredients:

• 450 g dry bean mix
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 170 g pancetta, cut into 0.5 cm cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 0.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 800 g canned pureed tomatoes
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 4-6 cups chicken broth
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 0.5 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup fine pasta, such as ditalini or tubettini
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Fresh basil leaves, sliced ​​into strips, for serving

Preparation:

1. The day before making the soup, pour the bean mixture into a large bowl and cover with cold water, covering the beans by 2 inches. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the water, rinse the beans under running water, and drain again.
   
   Place the beans in a large saucepan with 8 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally and skim off any foam that forms on the top. The beans should be soft; if you lift a few beans out and blow on them, the skins should crack.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium (25 cm) stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and onion and sauté over medium-high heat for 12-18 minutes, until golden brown.
   
   Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for another 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, 4 cups of broth, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper and turn off the heat.
3. Drain the beans and add 2/3 of the beans to the soup. Pass the remaining beans through a vegetable grinder, discarding the skins. Stir the bean puree and paste into the soup, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the paste is softened. If the soup is too thick, add more broth (up to 2 cups).
4. Stir in the Parmesan and wine vinegar. Ladle the soup into deep bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and add a little Parmesan and basil. Serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese.
   
   Pasta and bean soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months. If the soup becomes too thick, add chicken broth or water.
   
   Recipe Italian soup - pasta Fagioli with chickpeas instead of legumes.