Ingredients
Scale
- 1 hambone, with some of the meat still in tact (about 3 cups)
- 1–2 celery stalks
- 1 medium onion
- 1 16 oz bag of dry yellow-eye beans
- 1 lb of ditalini pasta
- 4–6 oz tomato sauce
- 2 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- Parmigiano Reggiano rind (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the yellow-eye beans and soak them overnight in enough water to cover them by two inches.
- Add the hambone, celery stalk, large onion, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to a large stockpot or dutch oven. Submerge the hambone in water until covered. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for at least one hour.
- At the hour mark, drain the beans and transfer them to the pot. Cook on medium low heat for 1-2 hours, or until the beans are soft.
- Remove the hambone and add the tomato sauce to the pot. Cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce is cooking, trim the meat from the ham bone, about 3 cups. Add the ham meat back into the pot, discarding the bone, and removing the parmesan rind and bay leaf from the pot. Simmer for a little bit longer.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, and add ditalini pasta. Cook until al dente, and toss with plain olive oil (not extra-virgin olive oil).
- Serve the soup over ditalini, hot off the stove.