Cut the bacon into small bite sized pieces and place in the bottom of a soup pot or dutch oven. Cook the bacon then remove it from the pot, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pot. Set the bacon aside.
Add the onions to the soup pot and sauté in the bacon fat until translucent, then add the chickpeas, chopped garlic, a sprig of rosemary, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the garlic has cooked.
Add the tomato paste to the pot and mix into the chickpeas and onions. Let cook for a couple minutes, stirring often.
Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of white wine, then add in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, pour in the pasta shells. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook the soup until the pasta is tender.
Add the chopped kale and parmesan cheese. Give the soup a taste, add any additional salt or pepper as needed.
Serve immediately, garnished with the bacon and Parmesan cheese if liked.
Notes
Use canned chickpeas: They’re quick, easy and perfect for this kind of stew. Don’t skip the wine: It adds brightness and balances the richness of the broth. Add pasta last: Cooking the pasta in the broth thickens the stew naturally. Stir while simmering: Prevents the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.