Ribolitta

This is a great way to use up stale bread.

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 thick slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
4-6 chopped garlic cloves
Fresh rosemary
1 chopped onion
2 diced carrots
1 medium zucchini, diced
½ cup dry red wine
1 15oz can tomatoes
6 cups beef stock
½ lb chopped or torn stale bread
2 15oz cans cannellini or small white beans
4 cups chopped kale or chard
½ cup parmesan

Heat oil in soup pot, cook bacon. Add rosemary, garlic, onion, carrots and zucchini, sauce 7-8 min. Add wine and deglaze the pot. Stir in tomatoes and stock. When soup boils, reduce to simmer and stir in beans and bread. Pile greens into pot, wilt them into the soup. Simmer 5-10 minutes until it thickens to a very dense stew-like consistency. Serve with parmesan. 

Cost: If you make the stock yourself, and already have the bread on hand...say $3 for the canned ingredients, $2 for the greens and zucchini, and maybe $2 for everything else. Around $7 total, and this will feed at least 8. Less than $1 per serving!