A hearty and flavorful Italian minestrone soup packed with pancetta, beans, kale, Swiss chard, and ditalini pasta, simmered in a savory broth and topped with Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat and sauté a handful of chopped pancetta until it starts to brown but not fully crisp.
Add chopped onion and celery and cook for about 4 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
Stir in about 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to brown the garlic.
Pour in the chicken broth, water, and a can of peeled tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes by hand as you add them. Stir to combine.
Add roughly 1 cup of cranberry beans (with shells), chopped kale, a pinch of red pepper flakes, dried Italian herbs, and salt. Stir everything together.
Add a can of rinsed chickpeas (or any other canned beans you prefer).
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 45 minutes until the beans are tender.
Prepare the greens by washing Swiss chard thoroughly, chopping the stems into small pieces and roughly chopping the leaves.
If the soup becomes too thick, add water as needed to ensure there’s enough liquid for cooking the ingredients and later the pasta.
Once the beans are soft, stir in the prepared Swiss chard and cook together for another 15 minutes.