Tuscan Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 lb kidney beans
4 packages cannellini beans
6 pancetta
1/4 c olive oil
1 c onion
1 c celery
1 tb sage
1 ts sage
2 ts salt
1 ts pepper
1 1/2 qt chicken stock
2 c ditalini
2 tb parsley

Instructions

Freshly grated Romano cheese -=OR=Parmigiano cheese IF USING DRIED BEANS, soak overnight in 5 cups of water. Drain beans and place in a large pot. Add 10 cups cold water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer beans and cook until tender, about 1 hour. In an 8-quart pot, saute the pancetta in olive oil until soft. Add onion and celery and saute, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add sage, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken stock, cover and bring to a boil. Drain the beans, add to soup, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Cook pasta in 4 quarts boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt until al dente. Drain and add to soup. Stir in minced parsley before serving and sprinkle with grated cheese.