Minestrone
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz. pancetta, small diced
- 2 Tbs butter
- 1½ cups chopped yellow onions
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 2 cups diced celery
- 1½ Tbs minced garlic
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- ½ cup good dry white wine
- 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
- 6 to 8 cups Homemade Chicken Stock
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2- 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups al dente cooked ditalini pasta, optional
- 10 cups chopped fresh kale, washed and stems removed
- Fettunta, for serving
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
Instructions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and reserve for a garnish. Leave the rendered fat from the pancetta and add the butter along with the chopped onions, diced carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 8 to 10 minutes and until the vegetables begin to soften. Deglaze the pan with the white wine a simmer another 3 minutes.
Next add the diced tomatoes, the chicken stock, the bay leaf, Kosher salt to taste and 1 ½ teaspoons of fresh ground black pepper to the pot. Bring the contents to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the bay leaf. Add the kale and cook another 10 minutes. Next add the cannellini beans including the liquid and cooked pasta if using and heat through. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock you may need to season with more kosher salt to taste.
Serve in large shallow bowls with Fettunta and crisp pancetta. Sprinkle with cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot!
