Pancetta Recipe | Italian White Bean and Pancetta Soup

This soup is similar to a minestrone, but contains no tomatoes. Garnish with freshly grated cheese.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces pancetta bacon, finely diced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 (19 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups seashell pasta
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Cooking Directions

1. In an 8-quart pot, saute pancetta in the olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes. Add onion and celery; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sage, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Pour in the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a boil. Stir in the drained beans, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in 4 quarts boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to the soup.
3. Stir in minced parsley before serving, and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Nutrition Facts

• calories571.5
• carbohydrateContent79.6 g
• cholesterolContent14.3 mg
• fatContent17.7 g
• fiberContent14.4 g
• proteinContent25.9 g
• saturatedFatContent4.4 g
• sodiumContent784.7 mg
• sugarContent2.8 g