Ditalini and cannellini bean soup with escarole

Escarole is a popular ingredient in Italian soups, This pale green, curly leaf member of the chicory family is bitter like radicchio when raw. But like its scarlet cousin, escarole loses its bitterness when cooked, taking on a subtle, almost nutty flavor that it imparts to the broth. It also adds body to this nourishing springtime soup.

Portion: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup/200 g dried cannellini beans
• 4 cloves garlic, 3 lightly crushed, 1 minced
• 2 marjoram sprigs
• 2 flat leaf parsley sprigs
• 2 sage sprigs
• 2 thyme sprigs
• Kosher or fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• About 5 tbsp/75 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 head escarole/batavian endive, shredded or chopped
• 4 cups/960 ml homemade vegetable broth, homemade chicken broth, or best quality low sodium, fat free commercial vegetable or chicken broth
• Red pepper flakes
• 1 rounded cup/140 g ditalini or other small pasta shape such as shells or tubetti
• Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for serving

Preparation:

Put the cannellini beans in a heavy-bottomed 4-qt/3.8-L saucepan and add water to cover by 1 to 2 in/2.5 to 5 cm. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil the beans for 2 minutes and then turn off the heat. Cover the pan and let the beans sit for about 2 hours.  Add the crushed garlic, marjoram, parsley, sage, and thyme to the beans, and stir in 1 tsp salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Drizzle about 2 tbsp of the olive oil over the beans. Turn the heat on to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and let the beans simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove the herb sprigs and the garlic, if you like. (I usually remove the sprigs but leave the garlic, as it becomes so soft that it eventually melts right into the soup.) While the beans are cooking, pour about 3 tbsp olive oil and the minced garlic into a deep frying pan or sauté pan and place over medium heat. Add the escarole/ Batavian endive, cover, and cook, stirring from time to time, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the greens have wilted. Season with a pinch of salt. Transfer the contents of the frying pan to the pan with the beans. Add the broth and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring the soup to a boil and stir in the pasta. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente (the cooking time will depend on the brand and shape). Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for a minute or so. Ladle the soup into warmed shallow, rimmed bowls and drizzle a little olive oil over each serving. Top with a sprinkling of the cheeses and serve immediately. Pass additional cheese and red pepper flakes at the table.