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1
In a 4- or 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan, combine the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until just softened. Add 2 cups of the peas, plus the oregano. Cook, stirring to keep the peas from sticking, for 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, and raise heat to high. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
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2
Remove the pot from the heat and, with an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Or, if you're using a stand blender, let the soup cool for a few minutes, then puree in batches, and return to the pot.).
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3
Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of peas, and the pasta. Again, bring the soup to the boil over high heat, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered, stirring often to keep the pasta and whole peas from sticking. If the soup is thickening too much, add 1/2 cup of water. After 5 minutes, grate the cheese directly into the pot with a Microplane(R) or box grater, and season with salt and pepper to taste (this soup loves quite a bit of black pepper, so don't be timid).
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4
Continue cooking for 5 minutes more, or until the pasta is soft. If the soup is too thick, add more water or stock to achieve the texture you like.
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5
Ladle into individual serving bowls, and garnish with grated cheese.
