Beef and pancetta are the umami-rich proteins in traditional pasta e fagioli soup recipes, but we also have this vegetarian pasta e fagioli that omits the meat and adds Tuscan kale for more heft.

And while the basic version of pasta e fagioli is vegetarian, pancetta is added for flavoring in Bologna, while the Venetians start the broth with pork bone. We can trace minestrone's origins back ...