Minestrone Soup

As you know, I think a lot of Rachel Ray's recipes look fabulous, but never go through the work of making them (weird ingredients that I may never use again, time consuming, etc) BUT this soup is delicious. It is from her magazine. You are supposed to serve with homemade Garlic Bread Croutons, but Ellie and I made homemade French Bread instead. If you are curious about the recipe for the Garlic Bread Croutons, let me know and I will post it.

2 tbls EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 pound pancetta or thick cut prosciutto, finely chopped (optional)-we opted out for what we call "Meatless Monday"
1 pound zucchini, cut into bite sized chunks
2 ribs celery with leafy tops, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped (oops, I forgot this)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt & pepper
32 ounce container chicken or vegetable stock (we used chicken broth)
15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
15 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
1/4 pound pasta (we used bow tie)
handful torn basil

Heat EVOO in soup pot over medium high heat. add pancetta or prosciutto if using and cook until browned. Add the zucchini, celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in stock, beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Stir in the basil and lower the head to low. (I cooked pasta separately and added later.) We served with shredded mozzarella on top and some yummy homemade French Bread (recipe posted).

Perfect Fall Meal in my opinion...