Chickpea and White-Bean Soup

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Cold-soak or quick-soak the chickpeas and cannellini in the same container or pot.

   Step 2

   Heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large (at least 6-quart), heavy pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the potato and stir until the pieces begin to stick to the pot, about 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots; cook until they wilt, about 2 minutes. Pour the crushed tomatoes and their liquid into the pot and bring to a boil.

   Step 3

   Pour in the hot water; add the rosemary, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. Add salt to taste. Drain the chickpeas and cannellini and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to a gentle boil. Cook, semi-covered, until the chickpeas are tender, about 2 hours. (At this point the cannellini will be very tender.) While the soup cooks, check the level of the liquid. There should always be enough liquid to cover the beans generously. If not, add hot water as necessary.

2. Make the pesto dressing

   Step 4

   Combine the basil and olive oil in the work bowl of a food processor or the blender jar. Process until the leaves are chopped fine. Add the grated cheese and continue processing until the mixture forms a rough paste.

   Step 5

   If you’d like a very dense soup, stir the broken fettuccine into the soup once the beans are tender and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is aldente—tender but firm. Add water as necessary, if the soup becomes too thick while cooking the pasta. (If you are cooking the soup in advance, do not add the pasta until you reheat the soup.) If you are serving the soup without fettuccine, let it rest, covered, off the heat 10 to 15 minutes before serving. If you have added the fettuccine, serve the soup immediately.

   Step 6

   Either stir a dollop of the basil paste into the soup pot or spoon a little into each warm soup bowl before ladling in the soup.