Ribollita di Farro alla Lunigiana

Ingredients

• 300 g whole grain emmer farro, soaked overnight in cold water before use; not pearled
• 250 g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water before use
• 50 g dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight alongside the cannellini
• 300 g cavolo nero, stems removed, leaves roughly torn
• 80 g pancetta tesa or guanciale, in one piece, for simmering in the soup
• 1 small bunch fresh nepitella or mountain savory, wild herbs; tied together for easy removal
• 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil, raw, for service only; Tuscan if available
• 1.5 litres water, cold, for cooking the beans and farro
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, added only before the second boil

Method

1. 1
   Drain the soaked cannellini and borlotti beans, place them in a large heavy pot with the pancetta tesa in one piece, and cover with the cold water. Starting in cold water draws a long, gradual flavour from the pancetta into the broth rather than sealing it shut at the surface. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until a bean pressed between finger and thumb yields without resistance but the skins remain intact.
2. 2
   Drain the soaked farro and add it to the pot along with the torn cavolo nero leaves and the tied wild herbs, then stir to combine. Adding the farro at this point rather than the beginning keeps it from turning to paste before the beans are ready. Continue to simmer gently for 45 minutes, until the farro has swelled and is just tender at the centre but still holds its shape; the cavolo nero should be tender but not collapsed, as it will cook further the next day.
3. 3
   Remove and discard the herb bundle, then remove the pancetta. Taste the soup but do not season yet, so that the overnight concentration does not push any salt already present beyond correction. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, transfer to the refrigerator, and leave overnight — a minimum of eight hours — during which the farro absorbs the bean broth and swells into a dense, porridge-like mass.
4. 4
   The following day, transfer the pot to medium heat. This is where the dish lives or dies: re-boil the soup vigorously, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping the base of the pot, because the farro and bean starch thicken rapidly and the soup will catch and scorch if left unattended even briefly. Stir without pause for 20 to 30 minutes until the soup is dense and moves as a single mass when the spoon is drawn through it, then season with fine sea salt.
5. 5
   Ladle the ribollita into deep terracotta bowls and pour a generous pool of raw extra-virgin olive oil into the centre of each bowl without stirring, so that the oil remains visible on the surface for the diner to fold in themselves. The correct texture is thick enough that the oil rests on top rather than sinking immediately.