Ingredients

• 1 1/3 pounds dried cranberry beans
• 5 quarts cold water
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4 pound sliced pancetta or bacon, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1/3 pound ditalini or other short tubular pasta
• About 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Combine beans and water in an 8-quart heavy pot and soak, covered, 12 hours.
2. Add vegetables and 1 tablespoon rosemary to pot and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 2 hours. Using a slotted spoon, set aside 1 heaping cup bean mixture, then reserve 2 cups cooking liquid separately. Force remaining soup through a food mill into a very large bowl.
3. Cook pancetta in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring, until it begins to render its fat. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary and cook, stirring, 15 seconds. Stir in puréed soup, reserved whole beans, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently and scraping bottom with a wooden spatula to keep soup from sticking to pot (thin with some of reserved bean liquid if necessary). Add pasta and simmer, stirring frequently, until pasta is cooked, about 12 minutes.
4. Serve soup drizzled with olive oil.