Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted Butter
  • 1 medium Onion (thinly sliced)
  • 3 medium Carrots
  • 3 ribs Celery (diced)
  • 1/4 pound Ham (chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces)
  • 3 cups diced Green Cabbage
  • 8 cups Water
  • 1 Smoked Ham Hock
  • 2/3 cup canned Italian Plum Tomatoes with their juice
  • Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked Cannellini Beans (drained and rinced)
  • 1/4 pound Green Beans (ends trimmed and diced)
  • 1/4 pound Zucchini (diced)
  • 1/4 cup Ditalini Pasta or other small Pasta
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
  • 2 cups loosely packed, coarsely chopped fresh Spinach Leaves
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Regianno Cheese

Instruction

  • In a large, heavy saucepan, combine olive oil and butter.
  • Place saucepan over medium-low heat and melt butter.
  • When oil and butter are hot and shimmering, but not burnt, add onions. Cook, uncovered, until completely softened and pale golden, about 15 minutes.
  • Add carrots, celery and ham. Cook about 4 minutes.
  • Add to cabbage. Cook 5 minutes more.
  • Add water, ham hock and tomatoes with the juice (crush tomatoes gently with your hands before adding or with a wooden spoon in the saucepan).
  • Add a little salt.
  • Stir gently, but thoroughly. Cover and adjust the heat to a very gentle simmer.
  • Cook for 2 1/2 hours.
  • Add cannellini beans, green beans and zucchini. Continue to for about 15 minutes.
  • And pasta. Cook for 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be fairly dense. If the soup becomes very thick, you can dilute it with a little water or broth.
  • Add black pepper. Taste. Add more salt and pepper, if needed, to taste.
  • Remove the ham hock, set aside and let it cool.
  • Add spinach. Cook for 2 minutes, just to wilt.
  • While spinach is wilting, pick meat from the ham hock, discarding the fat, skin, and bones. Add meat back to the soup.
  • Serve hot with grated cheese on the side.