Cheaters " Quick & Easy" Minestrone

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp & chopped
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and medium dice
• 1/2 cup celery, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 (14 ounce) can low sodium beef broth
• 10 ounces condensed bean with bacon soup, campbell's, undiluted
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice or 1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup green cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup zucchini, cubed
• 1 cup ditalini or 1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated at serving

Recipe

• 1 slice through bacon, put in the the dutch oven and fry until crisp.
• 2 remove bacon from drippings; drain on a paper towel to remove excess grease. reserve 1 or 2 tablespoons bacon grease; leave grease in the pan.
• 3 in reserved bacon grease, sauté onions until slightly translucent; add garlic and sauté an additional 3 to 5 minutes. be careful not to burn the garlic.
• 4 add carrots, celery, basil, broth, bean and bacon soup, water, tomatoes, cabbage, and zucchini.
• 5 simmer for at least 60 minutes. remove parmesan rind.
• 6 in the mean time: boil water for pasta. cook according to package directions.
• 7 do not add pasta to the soup. rinse cooked pasta with hot water to remove the starch residue and prevent sticking. set aside.
• 8 ladle hot soup over cooked macaroni; top with grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.