Old Fashioned Italian Chicken Soup (Yep It's Grandma's)



A whole meal in itself, I just love a plain chicken soup to take the chill out!

8 to 10 chicken legs or thighs,
 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup sliced carrots

4 cloves of minced garlic

1/4 cup celery chopped with leaves

1 large can of whole tomatoes chopped
1 small onion minced fine (for those of you that know me this is not in my soup, but the original recipe grandma makes has it, I am allergic to onions)

1/2 teaspoon each oregano, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and pinch of cayenne pepper. .

seasalt to taste
 1/2 lb package orecchiette pasta cooked separately until tender in salted water. Drain.

 In a large saucepot saute garlic for two minutes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add Chicken and 4 quarts of water, boil for an hour, scimming off the top as it cooks to get a clear broth.

 Put on low to simmer. Take chicken out cool and pull off the bone into pieces put back into the pot.

Add all the vegetables and seasonings. Simmer until  vegetables are soft. Add cooked pasta.

Just before serving add 1/2 cup of Romano grated cheese into the pot and serve with garlic croutons or crackers and more cheese on top.