Minestrone Soup

Marin and I saw Tyler Florence make this the other day on the Food Network and it looked so good we thought we'd try it...I had work off last night so Marin and I went to the temple and came home and made some yummy soup!

Hunter's Minestrone
2 quarts chicken stock (we used 3 15oz cans)
1 head of garlic halved
1/2 pound small rigatoni (we used half a box)
extra-virgin olive oil
8 fresh sage leaves (we did buy fresh cuz we didn't have dry)
1 sprig fresh rosemary (i have no idea what a "sprig" is, used dry until it looked good)
1 sprig fresh thyme (diddo from above)
3/4 pound loose sweet italian pork sausage
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
1 onion (yellow), roughly chopped
1 28oz can crushed plum tomatoes (we used 2 15oz cans)
1 bay leaf
2 28oz cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed (we used 2 15 oz cans, 1 kidney, 1 white cannelloni, his way is almost 60oz of beans!!!)
1/2 bunch fresh parsley leaves, finely minced
Coarsely ground black pepper
12 slices baguette
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (we just used Shredded Italian Mix)

1. Combine the stock and halved garlic head in a big saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes to give the stock a nice garlicky taste; strain out the garlic. Keep warm.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to boil for the rigatoni
3. Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the sage, rosemary and thyme and warm the oil over medium heat to infuse it with the flavor of the herbs, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with the side of a big spoon until well browned. Chop the carrots, celery, and onion (can use a food processor or we just used the "chop" option in our blender). Add to the saucepan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
4. To the pan with the sausage stir in the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, cannelloni beans (and any other beans you use) and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Cook the rigatoni in the boiling water for 6 minutes; it should be slightly underdone. Drain and stir into the simmering soup. Add the parsley, and salt and coarsley ground black pepper, to taste. Discard the bay leaf and herb sprigs.
6. To serve -- Preheat broiler or toaster oven. Put baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, ground pepper and then some cheese...Let broil until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
7. Ladel soup into bowls and float some baguettes on top!
Enjoy...

Looks like Will and I need to have a cook off for best chef! :)