Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 pound dried small pasta, like elbow macaroni


• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


• 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs


• salt and pepper


• olive oil for sauteing


• 2 small white onions, peeled and diced


• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced


• 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced


• 2 ribs celery, diced


• 1-2 bay leaves


• 1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme


• 3-4 Tbs chopped fresh parsley


• 1/2-3/4 pound chopped escarole


• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes


• 4 cups chicken stock


• parmesan cheese for garnish

PROCEDURE:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear it in a deep, heavy bottomed pan in olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Once the chicken's lightly browned on the first side, flip it over, let it cook on that side for a couple of minutes and then take it out of the pan. Saute the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in the same pan. Stir those around until they start to soften and add a bay leaf or 2, the chopped fresh thyme and chopped fresh parsley. Once the vegetables have softened, add the escarole, let that wilt for a few minutes and then add the diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook it according to the directions. Season the soup with salt to taste and let it simmer for 10 minutes or so. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, add it back to the pot and cook it until it's cooked through. Put a little pasta in the bottom of a bowl and ladle the soup over the top of that. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese if you like.

HINTS:

Use just one kind of meat instead of breast and thigh. Substitute 1 tsp dried thyme for the fresh thyme and 2 -3 tsp dried parsley. You might need to add a cup or so of water if the soup seems too thick. Don't add the pasta to the soup until your ready to eat -- it'll swell up and absorb all the liquid.