I was introduced to pasta fagioli when I was in my early 20s and living on Cape Cod. I worked at a small, family-run Italian gourmet shop. It was my first insight into great Italian cooking.We made everything from scratch every day. I learned how to prepare all of these new and interesting foods that I had not grown up eating. The first time I tasted pasta fagioli—an Italian soup made with macaroni, beans, and pork—I knew that my dad would love it because it contains all of his favorite flavors. It practically defines hearty and satisfying. Customers sometimes come in and tell me that my version tastes so much like their grandmother’s that I must be Italian. I always think of that as the ultimate compliment.

Ingredients:

Pork
1 (4 pound) smoked shoulder of pork
Water, as needed
Soup
1 pound dried white navy beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, sliced
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups (24 ounces) canned stewed tomatoes
16 cups stock (pork liquid from recipe supplemented with chicken stock), plus additional as needed
3 cups white wine
Reserved pork meat (from recipe)
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 pound fresh spinach leaves
1 cup dried ditalini pasta, cooked according to the package directions
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

For the pork: Place the pork shoulder in a stockpot. Fill the pot three-quarters of the way with water. Place on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-high, cover the pot, and simmer at a rolling boil for 3^1/2 hours. Remove from the heat. Using a large fork (such as one used for grilling), carefully remove the pork from the pot. Reserve the cooking liquid. When the pork is cool enough to handle, remove all of the meat from the shoulder. Save the bone for another use. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and set aside.

For the soup: Place the beans in a large, deep bowl. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Place in the refrigerator and soak overnight. Drain before using.

Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the soaked beans, tomatoes, stock, wine, pork, bay leaves, and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer until the beans are cooked and tender, about 1^1/2 hours, adding up to 5 cups more stock or water if the liquid reduces too much. Discard the bay leaves. Remove 4 cups of the soup, puree in a blender, and return to the soup. Add the vinegar and the spinach. Toss the cooked pasta with the olive oil, cheese, and parsley. Add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 10 to 12 servings. In this recipe, I use ditalini, a shorter and more delicate type of macaroni than the more familiar elbows. A larger pasta shape would absorb too much of the liquid in the soup and become mushy.