This is an excellent soup to make on a Sunday afternoon and eat throughout the week. I like to make a double batch and freeze some, so I can have it on hand for those nights when I don't feel like cooking. If you are going to freeze the soup and/or keep it in the refrigerator to eat throughout the week, store the pasta separately. Otherwise, the pasta will absorb all of the liquid in the soup and you'll end up with a mushy mess.
Cooking Time: approximately 1 hour, plus time to let the soup rest
Ingredients:
1 cup small shape, gluten free pasta, such as elbow macaroni (optional)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cups good quality chicken stock
1/4 lb pancetta, chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small)
1 cup small-diced celery (2 medium stalks)
1 cup small-diced carrots (2-3 medium carrots)
1 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves
1 (14 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
4 cups small-diced zucchini (5 small zucchini)
2 cups small-diced, peeled russet potatoes (1 large potato)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 parmesan rind