½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 4 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock Two 15-ounce cans red kidney beans, with their liquid 2 bay leaves 1 cup small pasta, such as shells, ditali, or elbows Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Pour the tomatoes into a medium bowl and squeeze each one through your fingers to break it up into small pieces (be careful—they can squirt) Set aside Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until the butter is melted If using pancetta, add it to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about minutes Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until the onion is fragrant and softened but not browned, about minutes Add the tomatoes, with their juice, the chicken stock, kidney beans, and bay leaves, bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to a bare simmer Cook for 20 minutes, adding the pasta to the soup for the last to 10 minutes (depending on the package directions) Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper Discard the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and serve, drizzling each serving with olive oil 30-MINUTE MINESTRONE Minestrone is my soup of choice during the spring and early summer, when vegetables from the farmers’ market are at their brightest and most flavorful Some minestrone soups get cooked down for hours I actually prefer my quick version, because it keeps the vegetables mildly crisp and fresh tasting I always start with onion, carrot, celery, and canned tomatoes as my base, but on top of that, you can use the vegetables suggested here or go with anything from the table here–here Just make sure to keep the total amount of extra vegetables at around 3 to 4 cups (not counting greens, which will cook down dramatically) ...30-MINUTE MINESTRONE Minestrone is my soup of choice during the spring and early summer, when vegetables from the farmers’ market are at their brightest and most flavorful Some minestrone soups... that, you can use the vegetables suggested here or go with anything from the table here–here Just make sure to keep the total amount of extra vegetables at around 3 to 4 cups (not counting greens, which will cook down dramatically)... quick version, because it keeps the vegetables mildly crisp and fresh tasting I always start with onion, carrot, celery, and canned tomatoes as my base, but on top of that, you can use the vegetables suggested here or go with