Pasta Fagioli

Pick over the beans, wash thoroughly and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight, or bring to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes and allow to sit covered off the heat for 1 or 2 hours before proceeding (quick soak method).

Drain the beans and discard the water. Add chicken stock to cover beans, ham bone, bay leaves, carrot, celery and thyme.

Bring to a boil and simmer 1 1/2 - 2 hours until beans are tender. Remove bay leaves and discard. Pick meat off ham bone, return meat to beans and discard the bone. Remove a portion of the beans (about 1/3 amount) and crush or mash the beans and return to the pot.

While beans are cooking, fry bacon until crisp and set aside (will be added to soup at the end).

Fry the onion in the bacon grease, and add to the beans while cooking.

Heat the oil in a small pan and saute the garlic and shallot in it. Add tomatoes, 1 cup stock, parsley, pesto and bring to a boil. Pour into cooked beans.

Cook the macaroni, in a separate pot, according to package directions.

Drain the pasta, (reserving a couple cups of pasta water) rinse pasta with cold water to stop further cooking and add to cooked beans. Stir in cooked bacon; adjust consistency with reserved pasta water (if soup is too thick) or mash more beans (if soup is too thin).

Adjust final seasoning with salt, pepper and grated cheese.