Minestrone alla Casa -- Home Style Vegetable Soup

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 lb. salt pork
• bacon, chopped
• 1 sm. onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp. sage, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 potatoes, diced (large dice)
• 2 cups pea beans, cooked
• 1/4 sm. cabbage, chopped finely
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 cup peas, shelled
• 1-1/2 qt. beef stock
• 3 to 4 lb. beef bones, with some meat
• 1 cup elbow pasta
• Parmesan Cheese, grated

1. Place the olive oil in a large soup pot with the bacon or salt pork, garlic, onion, parsley, sage, salt and pepper.
2. Brown the onion and garlic slightly.
3. Add the tomato paste thinned with a cup of water.
4. Cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add all the vegetables at once, with 1-1/2 quarts of beef stock and beef bones.
6. Simmer on low heat for about 1 hour, or until the vegetables and meat on the beef bones are tender.
7. Remove the bones from the soup and take all the meat from the bone.
8. Discard any fat.
9. Shred the beef and add back to the soup.
10. Add the elbow pasta and cook about 10 minutes longer.
11. Serve with grated Parmesan Cheese sprinkled liberally on top, and with crusty Italian bread.

olive oil, salt pork, bacon, onion, clove garlic, fresh parsley, sage, salt, pepper, tomato paste, stalks celery, carrots, potatoes, pea beans, cabbage, zucchini, peas, beef stock, beef bones, elbow pasta, parmesan cheese

Taken from www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/18752 (may not work)