Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan or a dutch oven (I like to use my Le Creuset pot for this) over medium heat. Add the diced celery and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken, carrots, bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and cover with about a quart of water, just to cover the chicken. Bring to boil, lower heat to medium-low and gently simmer for about an hour. You can simmer up to hour and a half for a stronger broth. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Bring soup to a boil and add the uncooked pasta. Lower heat to medium and simmer for about 8 minutes. Add the kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, zucchini, squash and herbs to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced a little bit into a stew consistency, about 5 more minutes.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, according to your to taste.

Ladle the stew into serving bowls, sprinkle with parmesan and serve with some crusty Italian bread.