Instructions: 1. Spray a heavy 3 to 4-quart pot. Add olive oil and heat over medium-low heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are limp, 4 minutes (to develop flavor; add a tablespoon of broth to prevent scorching, if necessary). Add broccoli, bell pepper, beans, broth, sage, sage and pepper and red pepper flkaes. Bring to a boil.

2. Add tubettini; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is barely al dente, about 7 minutes. Add beans and herbs; continue cooking until pasta is cooked, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting; cover and keep warm before serving or serve immediately. Transfer to bowls; sprinkle each with 1 tsp parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.

TIP - I make broth in 1-quart batches from vegetable trimmings: carrot, leek/scallion greens, celery, green-bean tips, asparagus ends, etc. I add tomatoes, better than bouillon mushroom base, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay, dill, fennel seed, peppercorns; steep until flavorful. Strain. The broth varies depending on the scraps and season. -pat

Yield: 5 cups

NOTES : Tubettini, tiny tubular pasta, and broccoli are cooked together to create a light, nourishing soup that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. REVIEW: Easy to prepare soup; light. The taste depends on the quality of the broth (see tip). Suggest slowly sweating the onion and celery to develop more flavor.

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