Tuscany in Winter...Pasta e Fagioli (Tuscan Bean Soup)

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This may be the last recipe of winter. ..and what a way to go!  I sincerely hope so, I'm sick of cashmere, fireplaces and comfort food.  Bring on Spring!

The picture above appeared on this weekend's New York Times. I just had to post it and find one of my recipes to go with it.  Just had to...

Servings 10

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes


Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 ounces diced pancetta

1 cup minced onion

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

Salt

Pepper

4 minced garlic cloves

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage (or 2 teaspoons dried)

10 cups chicken or beef stock

8 oz.  Pomi Crushed Tomatoes

2 cups small soup pasta

4 20 ounce cans drained Tuscan Cannellini beans

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or if you have saved the parmesan rind, throw it in!)

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and saute for 3 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper and cook for five minutes. Add the garlic and sage and saute for two minutes more. Add the stock and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes. Add the pasta and beans and cook for 10-15 minutes or until al dente. Mix in the cheese and parsley before serving with additional cheese and bread.