Minestra di Ceci e Maiale

This dish, which originates from Le Marche, is one of those robust cold-weather soups that are designed to fill hungry stomachs in the depths of a bitter winter, where the only heating comes from the kitchen fireplace. Guaranteed to provide much sustenance and comfort, it is filling and satisfying, as well as wonderfully warming. Made with a variety of the most basic of local ingredients that are available to even the poorest of families, this soup, and many others like it, relies on long,