Weekend Minestrone | Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried kidney beans, red or white
• 3 teaspoons salt plus more to taste
• 1 smoked pork shank
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• several parsley sprigs
• salt to taste
• 4 ounces pancetta, ¼ inch dice
• olive oil as needed
• 1 cup minced onion
• ¾ cup diced carrot
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 14½-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• Parmesan rind, if desired
• 1 tablespoon minced rosemary
• black pepper to taste
• 3 cups, cut into pieces similar in size to the cooked beans, any mixture of your favorite vegetables: zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
• 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow macaroni
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• red wine vinegar to taste
• grated Parmesan, for serving