1. Pour the oil into a large pot and set over a medium-high heat. Add the lardons and season with lots of black pepper, then saute until well browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lardons with a slotted spoon or fork and set them aside, then add the onion, fennel, carrot, garlic and fennel seeds to the pot. Stir well, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and starting to brown in places.
2. Stir in the oregano and tomato paste and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, kombu and bay leaf. Fill the tomato tin twice with water and add to the pan too. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a low boil, covered with a lid, for 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
3. Add the beans and pasta and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the pasta is done, stirring occasionally to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Reduce the heat to low, remove the kombu and bay leaf, then whisk in the miso. You can do this by either holding the miso in a ladle and whisking it together with a little bit of broth before dispersing it through the soup, or by stirring it through a sieve (strainer) directly into the soup. Add the spinach and bring back to a high simmer so it wilts or thaws, then taste and add pepper or chilli flakes to taste.
5. Ladle the soup into deep bowls and garnish each one with a spoonful of lardons. Serve with crusty bread.
Make it vegan: Simply omit the pancetta. If you want a similar salty-meaty topping, chopped olives are a good choice.
