Ingredients

• 4 14-ounce c reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 4 4-inch spr fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1/8-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 15-1/2-oun cannellini, (white kidney) beans, rinsed, divided
• 1 14-1/2-oun diced tomatoes
• 1 cup medium pasta shells, or orecchiette
• 2 cups individually quick-frozen spinach, (6 ounces) (see Ingredient note)
• 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, (optional)
• 6 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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Cooking Directions

Step 1

Combine broth, garlic, rosemary and crushed red pepper in a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot; bring to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes to intensify flavor. Meanwhile, mash 1 cup beans in a small bowl.

Step 2

Scoop garlic cloves and rosemary from the broth with a slotted spoon (or pass the soup through a strainer and return to the pot). Add mashed and whole beans to the broth, along with tomatoes; return to a simmer. Stir in pasta, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in spinach, cover and cook just until the spinach has thawed, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with a drizzle of oil, if desired, and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Variation: Substitute chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for the cannellini beans; use a food processor to puree them.