Whole-Grain Pasta E Fagioli with Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto

Ingredients

• Fine sea salt
• 6 oz. whole-grain orecchiette, small shells, or other small pasta
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2-1/2 cups diced butternut squash
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups lower-salt chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 15-oz. can borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with juice, crushed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 to 3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh sage
• 1 medium clove garlic, chopped
• 1 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano, coarsely grated on the large holes of box grater; more, finely grated, for serving
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with generously salted water and bring it to a boil, then cook the pasta as the package directs, stopping when it is still a little firmer than al dente. While that gets going, warm the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or another sturdy pot set over medium heat, until it shimmers. Stir in the onion and 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring now and then, until the onion begins to take on color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the squash and turn it through the oil. Stir in the parsley, sage, garlic, and pepper flakes, if you are using them, and cook just until the aromatics wake up, about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it has worked its way through the vegetables and deepened slightly in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it bubble down until nearly gone, about 1 minute. Add the broth, beans, and tomatoes. Stir thoroughly, making sure to loosen anything on the bottom of the pot, then simmer until the squash is just barely tender, 13 to 15 minutes. Stir in the pasta and keep simmering until both the squash and the pasta are tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Take the pot off the heat.
3. Add the parsley, sage, garlic, and coarsely grated cheese to a food processor. Season with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper, then pour in the oil. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, using a little more oil if needed so it becomes loose and spoonable. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, then scrape it into a bowl.
4. If you want a thinner soup, stir in water, then add 1/4 tsp. pepper. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each portion with 1 to 2 Tbs. pesto. Serve with the finely grated cheese to pass around at the table.