White Bean and Pancetta Soup

DrGaellon's Note:

Like a minestrone, but without tomatoes. Adapted from a recipe by Marbalet at allrecipes.com.

• Total Time: 7 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 6 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 lb pancetta, finely diced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 4 (19 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups chopped escarole
• 2 cups orecchiette ("ear-shaped" pasta) or 2 cups small shell pasta
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil until it shimmers. Add pancetta and saute until browned. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and transfer directly to a crockpot.
2. Saute onion, celery, carrot and garlic until soft and onion is translucent. Transfer vegetables to crockpot and deglaze skillet with white wine. Pour wine into crockpot. Add herbs, salt, pepper, chicken broth, and beans. Cook on low 4-6 hours, or on high 2-3 hours. Puree about 1/3 of the soup in a blender then return it to the pot, or run an immersion blender in the soup until the desired thickness is achieved.
3. Add escarole and pasta and cook another 30-40 minutes on high (if you have been cooking on low up to this point, be sure to turn it up), until pasta is al dente. Stir in parsley at the last minute.