Quite a few people have ham on Easter. I’m not sure why other than it’s tasty, relatively cheap, and good for a crowd. It’s probably too late for this year but I’d like to give you a tip you might want to use next year: the best ham I’ve ever tasted is from Ozark Mountain Family Smoke House. Their bacon is incredible, too. ‘Nuff said.
If you’re wondering what to do with your leftover ham, here’s a recipe you might try. The better your ham, the better the dish.
Pasta Fagiole (Naples style)
4 cups dry beans (white or brown)
Ham bone or ham scraps
Garlic to taste
1 tsp. dried basil or 2 Tbsp. fresh, minced
Salt and pepper
4 fresh tomatoes, quartered
2 cups pasta (macaroni, spaghetti, or whatever broken into small pieces)
1 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch cayenne or dried hot pepper (optional)
- Put the beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 1 inch.
- Bring the pot to the boil and add the ham bone or scraps.
- Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the beans are no longer hard.
- Add the garlic, basil, and salt and pepper.
- Continue cooking until the beans are soft enough to mash with a fork.
- Add the tomatoes to the beans.
- Cook until the tomatoes fall apart.
- Increase the heat and bring the beans up to boiling.
- Add the oregano.
- Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente (roughly 10-12 minutes).
- Add the optional hot pepper and serve.
A little chopped spinach added at the same time as the pasta would be good, too. This would be great with a green salad, hard-crusted Italian bread, and a little red wine, preferably a Sangiovese. What wouldn’t?
