Minestrone Soup

It’s getting cold here again so it’s time for another favorite comfort food! Today is one of my favorite soups, minestrone! I like to use a whole pound of pancetta (Italian bacon) but you can use a bit less if you are watching your fat. You can also skim some fat off while the soup is simmering. I especially love this recipe because I can fix it in the morning, let it cook and enjoy it at night!
This is one of the few times you don’t need to add salt--pancetta is very salty and easily flavors the dish!

Minestrone Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. pancetta, diced
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 celery ribs, sliced in half at the rib and diced
2 zucchinis, diced
1 pint button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C red wine
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 quart veggie broth
1 can (14.5 oz.) cannelli beans
1 rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano
Large bunch of kale (or spinach or swiss chard), torn into bite size pieces
Optional: 1 lb. pasta (wagon wheels, shells)

Heat olive oil in large sauce pan over medium high heat. Add pancetta and rosemary. Fry until brown (not crispy). Add garlic, carrots, celery and zucchini. Cover and let cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add mushrooms until they decrease in size. De-glaze pan with the wine (this will remove all the food sticking to the pan and give great flavor. Cook until the wine is reduced by half (the alcohol will be gone). Add tomatoes, broth, cannelli beans and rind. Cook until it boils and then reduce heat to low medium. After it simmers for at least 1 hour (or up to 4), add kale. Stir in and cook until kale is soft and withered.

In a large pan, boil salted water and cook the pasta.

Remove the rind and serve the soup over the noodles.

This soup freeze well--without the noodles!