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1
The night before serving, sort through the beans and discard any small, cracked or shriveled ones.
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2
Place the beans in a pot or jar large enough to cover them with water by at least 3 inches.
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3
Leave the beans in a cool place or in the refrigerator overnight to rehydrate.
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4
The next day, strain the beans through a colander (discard the water).
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5
Add the beans to a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by at least 2 inches, about from the tip of your finger to your knuckle.
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6
Turn the heat to medium-high, bring the liquid to a boil, then return to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that rises to the top, until the beans are tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
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7
Add additional water when necessary to keep the beans submerged.
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8
When the beans are done, turn off the heat, add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and stir to incorporate; set aside.
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9
Put the salt pork in a medium pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 12 minutes.
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10
Remove the salt pork and discard.
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11
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
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12
Add the tomato paste to the pot, and cook until it darkens, about 2 minutes.
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13
Add 2 cups of the cooking water from the beans, and simmer for 10 minutes.
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14
Strain the beans, add them to the pot and cook just long enough to heat them through, about 5 minutes.
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15
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil, and cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente.
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16
Add as many pasta shapes as you wish, as long as their cooking times are within 2 minutes of one another (according to the package directions).
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17
Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water.
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18
Add the pasta back to the pot, add the beans with their liquid and the reserved pasta water and stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons of pepper.
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19
Ladle the soup into serving bowls, and grate the Pecorino Romano over the top if using.
