Zuppa di Farro della Garfagnana Toscana

Ingredients

• 300 g Farro della Garfagnana IGP (pearled emmer wheat)
• 250 g dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight, cooked separately until just tender, cooking liquid reserved
• 1 ham hock or pig's trotter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1.5 litres reserved bean cooking liquid, topped up with water if needed
• 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind
• 4 tbsp Garfagnana extra-virgin olive oil, to finish

Method

1. 1
   Soak the dried borlotti beans overnight in cold water so that the centres rehydrate fully and the beans cook evenly without the skins splitting before the middles are tender. Drain, cover with fresh cold water and cook at a gentle simmer until just tender but still holding their shape. Drain, reserving all the cooking liquid, then set aside a ladleful of whole beans for the finish.
2. 2
   Place the ham hock or pig's trotter in a large, heavy pot with the chopped onion, celery and carrot, then pour over the reserved bean cooking liquid — using the bean liquid rather than plain water carries the starch and savour already drawn from the beans directly into the broth, giving it body from the very start. Bring to a simmer and cook, partly covered, until the meat begins to yield and the broth is deeply savoury; the stock should smell of smoked pork and sweet vegetables.
3. 3
   Add the pearled Farro della Garfagnana IGP and the Parmigiano rind to the pot, stirring to combine — the rind melts slowly into the broth, lending a rounded, salty depth that no amount of seasoning alone can replicate. Cook at a steady, moderate simmer for 30 minutes, adjusting the consistency with additional bean broth rather than water, then add the cooked borlotti beans (all but the reserved ladleful) and continue for a further 30 minutes. This is where the dish lives or dies: the farro must be fully tender and the beans must have partially collapsed into the broth, thickening it to a dense, porridge-like consistency — a spoon drawn through the soup should leave a briefly parting channel.
4. 4
   Remove the ham hock and pull any usable meat from the bone, returning it to the pot so that nothing of the long-cooked pork flavour is lost; discard the bone and the spent Parmigiano rind. Stir in the reserved whole borlotti beans, which hold their shape and give the finished soup contrasting pockets of texture against the thickened base.
5. 5
   Remove the pot from the heat, cover and rest for 15–20 minutes so the farro continues to swell off the flame and the soup reaches its final, settled consistency without the risk of scorching on the bottom. It should be thick enough that a drizzle of olive oil pools briefly on the surface rather than sinking immediately.
6. 6
   Ladle into bowls and finish each portion with a generous drizzle of Garfagnana extra-virgin olive oil. Serve at once.