Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Recipe courtesy of melbride2005

2 tbsp. Olive oil
2 oz. pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 medium celery with leaves, chopped
1 fresh sprig Rosemary (about 4")
1/4 cup fresh basil (you can also add marjoram, oregano, or thyme leaves) chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large can chopped Tomatoes
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 oz. orzo pasta, (or any small type pasta such as shells or ditalini)
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
fresh Italian parsley, chopped for garnish
 
Sauté the pancetta in a skillet until crisp. Add the onions, celery, carrots & garlic and sauté until the onions are almost clear.  Add next 6 ingredients to a large stock pot and simmer soup 30 minutes.  Remove the Rosemary sprig, add the pasta and cook 15-20 minutes more until pasta is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and crusty bread for soaking up the broth.