Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2009

4 stars because i modified slightly. Pancetta is expensive so i used a smoked cervelat salami, diced and fried instead. Great smokey/salty flavor, less expensive. It would be 5 stars if i followed exactly.

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moms diner

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Colts Neck, New Jersey, USA

Living In: West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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Reviewed: Oct. 29, 2009

4 stars only because I didn't follow the recipe as written, but I like the version I made. I skipped the pasta and celery, and used regular yellow onion as that's all I had on hand. Instead I added diced red potatoes, carrots, and chicken (hubby needed more for dinner), and I only had half a can of chicken broth left, so I added water and the drippings from the baked chicken (20min on 400) and sea salt. WOW! We ate this wonderful dish with cornbread and followed up with a lowfat pear crisp. One of the best fall meals. This one is a keeper!

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GodzStrongTower

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Oct. 25, 2009

Amazing, hearty, and healthy! Added ground chicken and pureed (a.k.a disguised for my 3 kids!)all the beans! They all ate it w/ parm cheese on top :)

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HEALTHYGIRL

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Reviewed: Jul. 31, 2009

This was awesome. Used one can less beans and a little more pasta. Of course, just added a little more broth here and there. Delicious!!!

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jkm1019

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Reviewed: Mar. 27, 2009

This soup was flavorful and quick. My kids loved it which is a huge plus!!!

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Vonnie

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Reviewed: Mar. 23, 2009

This was FANTASTIC! I don't like sage so I used fresh thyme and fresh basil. And used navy beans instead of cannellini. And we put our cooked pasta in our bowl then poured soup over the top so it didn't get thick and starchy. Wow, this was unbelievably easy and good. Don't forget the cheese on top, it makes the soup! This is going in the do-over file!

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MelGuay

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Reviewed: Mar. 21, 2009

This was easy to make and really good. As others suggested, I cut the only, only including 1 Tblsp to saute the vegetables. It was still kind of greasy. Great flavor.

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Anna

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Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2009

Great addition to my soup routine. Don't bother adding any salt, between the stock and the pancetta you don't need any more.

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Shalaine_1

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Jan. 26, 2009

I halved the recipe for my husband and I. This is definately company worthy. I will be making again. It might have been better the second day. I think the next time, I may try to make it in the crockpot. I left out the added salt, as I thought the pancetta and chicken stock was enough salt. I am glad I left that out.

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GLINKETTE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 10, 2009

Very good, though I didn't have any pancetta. That would have been even better.

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Chris K

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Salem, Oregon, USA

Living In: Albany, Oregon, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 10, 2008

This is soup was awesome! I didn't have any celery or any fresh sage and I only used about a tablespoon of olive oil to cook the bacon. I used all 4 cans of beans and about 8 oz. of pancetta. Oh and I would recomend the SMALL shells pasta. If you were to use the big ones they would absorb too much broth and then it would be soupy. I will make this soup again!

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ROSYPOSY18

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Reviewed: Jan. 27, 2008

Perfect healthy soup for a cold night. I added 1 cup of chopped carrots with the onion and celery, and then 6 cups of chopped escarole with the beans. Was a bit heartier with the extra veggies.

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BrandyWine

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Reviewed: Jan. 6, 2008

Great recipe...I did cut back on the olive oil, added a few cloves of garlic, and also used Barilla 'Plus' multi-grain pasta. I crisped up a few pieces of the pacetta and served it on top with some fresh grated Locatelli cheese, and chopped parsley. Really satisfying!!

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Beverly

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Long Island, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 16, 2007

It took some monkeyeing around with the spices after all was done to get this soup to taste right. I needed a lot more salt, although that may be because I used home made stock that didn't have too much in it. I also added some cumin for a background flavor. I skipped the pasta and instead cooked one finely diced large potato in the soup. I put about half the solids into the blender afterwards to get the right texture. I think next time I'll use bacon instead of pancetta, use commercial stock, and add a couple of dry bay leaves. I made this in the slow cooker and was looking forward to coming home to this soup all day.

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JCL

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Sep. 22, 2007

This is a phenomenal recipe! I add just a tiche of fresh nutmeg just before serving. During the Fall, this is the recipe that I make big batches so I can freeze it.

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Christopher

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Reviewed: Sep. 5, 2007

I used the canned beans method and was very pleased with the outcome. I used a little extra sage and 8 oz. of pancetta instead of the 6 ounces called for, to jump up the flavor. I also used low sodium chicken broth since i had that already on hand (I don't think the extra couple of bucks would have been able to better this tasty soup). I paired it with some garlic sesame breadsticks i bought from Viviano's on The Hill. This makes for an easy, inexpensive, zestful dish i will be making all winter.

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J. Pecoraro

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

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Reviewed: Jun. 8, 2007

I love this soup. I make it once a month during the winter. I leave out the salt and even use low salt broth and it seems have more than enough flavor. Wonderful for a cold day.

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brookeoz

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Seattle, Washington, USA

Living In: Collaroy, New South Wales, Australia

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Reviewed: Oct. 22, 2006

I didn't use sage because I don't care for that flavor. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. This is a delicious, hearty soup -- perfect for a cool Fall day. I'll make this again!

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DPW

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Reviewed: Oct. 16, 2006

For a crockpot version, soak beans overnight. Saute pancetta, onions, celery and sage in a frypan and deglaze with 1/3 cup of white wine and add everything into a crockpot and cook all day on low. Whole wheat pasta optional. (but makes a complete protein). Try adding fresh rosemary for a tuscan twist!

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Sara

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Living In: La Prairie, Quebec, Canada

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Reviewed: Apr. 4, 2006

Like others I add chopped carrot to this recipe for flavor and color. I also use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup after about 20 minutes of cooking - then I add the pasta to the mix so everything finishes cooking at the same time. I've made this several times over the past 2 months and it always disappears fast - my kids love it!

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