-
1
Rinse, searching for stones and such, each variety of legume, then soak them in separate bowls of cold water overnight.
-
2
Drain the legumes and cook each variety in its own pot of simmering, sea-salted water until they are al dente.
-
3
As each of the legumes is cooked and drained, place them together in a large holding bowl.
-
4
In the houses largest soup pot (or one purloined from a restaurant just for the festival), heat the prosciutto and pancetta in 1/2 cup of the olive oil and saute the onions, celery, fennel, leeks, and parsley, sauteing the aromatics until transparent without coloring them.
-
5
Add the spring peas, the fresh fava beans, the potatoes, carrots, and artichokes, rolling the vegetables about in the scented fat.
-
6
Add the tomatoes and about 6 1/4 quarts of water to the pot with 2 tablespoons of the sea salt and bring to a simmer, cooking the vegetables gently over a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are nearly soft.
-
7
Add the mixture of cooked legumes to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes before adding the shredded greens, the herbs, and the cloves.
-
8
Gently simmer the soup for 5 to 7 minutes more to soften the greens and the herbs.
-
9
Cover the pot and permit the soup to rest while you cook the pasta in abundant boiling, sea-salted water just to al dente.
-
10
Drain the pasta and add to the pot, stirring it in well and bringing the soup once again to a quiet simmer for several minutes.
-
11
Though the soup should be thick, some liquids should remain.
-
12
If necessary, thin the soup with a bit of stock or water.
-
13
Taste the soup for salt, adding a bit more if you think it necessary.
-
14
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls or into several tureens and serve it with threads of good, green oil and generous dustings of pecorino.
