- 4 (14 ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
- 4 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed, divided
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup medium pasta shells or orecchiette
- 2 cups individually quick-frozen spinach (see Ingredient note)
- 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
- 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.