What You'll Need:

• 1/3 pound sliced pancetta, chopped
• 3 medium red onions, chopped
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice
• 3 quart hot water
• 5 cups coarsely chopped cored Savoy cabbage (6 ounces)
• 5 cups coarsely chopped escarole (1/2 pound)
• 1 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (about 3 by 1 1/2 inches)
• 1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

• Accompaniments: extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling; cooked ditalini pasta tossed with oil (optional); grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Step by Step:

• Cook pancetta, onions, celery, and carrots in oil in a wide 7-to 9-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing chard.
• Cut out stems from chard and chop stems, reserving leaves.
• Stir chard stems into pancetta mixture with garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender and begin to stick to bottom of pot, about 45 minutes total. (Set aside chard leaves.)
• Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste to cleared area and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes.
• Stir paste into vegetables and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. (Paste may stick to pot, but don't let it burn.)
• Stir in tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up with a spoon, then add hot water (3 quarts), scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot.
• Bring to a simmer. Stir in cabbage, escarole, and parmesan rind. Simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Coarsely chop chard leaves and stir into soup along with beans.
• Simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Discard rind.
• Season soup with salt and pepper. If using ditalini, stir in just before serving.

Yield: 8 servings