Midwinter Minestrone

Total Time: 52 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 22 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 lb sliced pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
• 3 celery ribs, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
• 3 -4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or grated)
• 1 large red onion, chopped (or 2 medium)
• salt
• pepper
• 1 ounce dried funghi porcini, chopped (or mixed wild mushrooms)
• 1/2 cup soft sun-dried tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 quart chicken stock or 1 quart vegetable stock
• 1 small bunch purple kale or 1 small green kale, washed and dried
• 1 cup semolina ditalini (or other short cut pasta) or 1 cup whole wheat ditalini (or other short cut pasta)
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
• pecorino romano cheese, grated, to pass at the table

Recipe

• 1 place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over med-high heat; add in oil.
• 2 add pancetta to the pot and cook until crispy, 3-4 minutes.
• 3 add in the carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic, and onions to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 7-8 minutes.
• 4 add in the mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, stock, and 2 cups water to the pot; bring to a boil.
• 5 hole the kale by the stems and curl up your opposite hand around the greens at the base of the stem.
• 6 with a quick jerking motion, strip the greens off and away from the stems and chop the greens.
• 7 add the kale, pasta, and chickpeas to the soup pot, and cook until the pasta is al dente.
• 8 season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
• 9 discard the bay leaves.
• 10 ladle the soup into shallow bowls, top with the pecorino romano, and serve.