Homemade Minestrone

A homemade minestrone soup I found in betty crockers "Soup, Stew and Chili" cookbook

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2  beef shanks (about 1 lb.)
• 1  tablespoon olive oil or 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1  garlic clove (finely chopped)
• 2  tablespoons  chopped onions
• 2  romaine leaves (torn into bite size pieces)
• 2  large cabbage leaves, red (coarsely chopped)
• 1  medium baking potato (by this I assume they mean russets or some other brown potato)
• 1  medium carrot, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 4  quarts water
• 1⁄2 cup  dried split peas
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper (I prefer freshly ground if possible)
• 2  medium  stalk celery (about 1 cup)
• 2  pear shaped tomatoes, chopped (by this I assume they meant Roma tomatoes)
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  cup  uncooked rotini pasta

Directions

1. Remove bones and fat from beef shanks, then cut into 1 inch pieces. Heat oil in 6 quart Dutch Oven, using medium heat. Cook beef, onion and garlic in oil, stirring frequently until beef is light brown. Stir in romaine, cabbage, Potatoe, and carrot. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until romaine is wilted. Stir in remaining ingredients except rotini. Heat to boiling; Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 40 minutes. Stir in rotini and simmer 10 minutes or until rotini is tender. Remove bay leaf.