Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Orange and Fennel

Name: Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Orange and Fennel
Yield: Makdes about 4 quarts, serving 8 to 10
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 medium bulb, fennel; 1 tablespoon, extra-virgin olive oil; , extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling; 3 ounces, pancetta or bacon, chopped fine; 1 , medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup); 1 medium rib, celery, chopped fine (about 2/3 cup); 4 medium cloves, garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 heaping tablespoon); 2 teaspoons, grated orange zest; 1/2 teaspoon, fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon, dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon, red pepper flakes; 3 , anchovy fillets, minced to paste (about 1 teaspoon); , 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid; 1 piece, Parmesan cheese rind, about 5 inches by 2 inches; 2 , cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 3 1/2 cups, low-sodium chicken broth; , Salt; 8 ounces, orzo or other small pasta (ditalini, tubetini, conchigliette); 1/4 cup, chopped fresh parsley leaves; , Ground black pepper; 2 ounces, grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 2003

SERVESMakdes about 4 quarts, serving 8 to 10

TIME1¼ hours

Italian Pasta and Bean Soup with Orange and Fennel

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

To develop a pasta and bean soup recipe with great flavor and proper texture in less than an hour, we cooked some bacon and pancetta and then cooked our vegetables in the rendered fat. We discovered other quick flavor boosters: Adding the t...

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