Need:
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped evenly
3-4 celery stalks, chopped evenly
1 can canellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1 large can plum tomatoes (with Basil preferred)
3 c. unsalted chicken stock
1/4 c red wine
2-3 strips turkey bacon (you can make this sans the bacon, it gives it meaty flavor)
1 lb small pasta (orzo, ditalini, shells)
garlic bread or fresh bread to soak it all up!
Fresh parm cheese
1. Dice bacon and brown in a dutch oven. Add in the onions and saute in the bacon oil over medium heat(add a little olive oil if it's dry, these lean turkey bacons don't always produce grease, which is a good thing). Mix for a few minutes and then add in the garlic for just about a minute until fragarent. Add in the celery and carrots and cook for about 10 minutes until the veggies soften. Add in the beans and the plum tomatoes (squeeze with your hand to break up each plum tomato, add in the juice too). Add in the stock, about 1/4 c. red wine and spices (oregano, crushed red pepper, basil, pepper, a little salt). Bring to a boil then simmer partially covered for about 30-40 minutes, until the flavors have blended.
2. Meanwhile, boil up your pasta al dente and set aside - toss with butter or oil to prevent sticking.
3. Serve soup in bowls and top with pasta. Parm cheese on top and bread on the side.
A lot of recipes for this soup call for making the pasta in the soup - don't do this unless you want your left overs to turn the pasta into sponges and soak up all the soup - gross! Plus this gives everyone control over how much pasta they want in their soup. You can make this soup with two cans of tomatoes, less stock for a thicker soup or more stock for thinner. Play with it and adjust seasonings accordingly.
