Aaaaah. The best part of ham really is the bone!
1 ham bone, some meat still on
bay leaf
1 tsp peppercorns
any leftover ham, chopped
2 carrots, diced
5 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 can cannelli beans, drained
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 package choice of pasta (traditionally my mil's always used ditalini but we used Tinkyada's gfcf rice bran "pasta" shells)
Place ham bone in a large pot and cover with water (about 2" to cover), peppercorns and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer approx. 3 hours. Cool.
Remove bone and pick off any bits of meat still clinging. Strain out bits of fat, the bay leaf and peppercorns. Place meat and soup back in the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients except pasta and simmer minimum 1 hour. If you want to pretend you're eating something that won't raise your cholesterol, skim off foam and any fat bubbling to the top.
Cook pasta according to directions and serve alongside. Most people just throw the pasta in to cook with the rest of the soup but I don't like my pasta mushy or my fagioli soup congealed so I keep them separate until serving.
Even my picky daughter likes this :). Alex will lick the bowl clean. Enjoy!
