Creamy Parmesan Italian Soup

1 lb chicken breasts,cut into bite size pieces
2 cups uncooked salad macaroni
3 Tbl olive oil
1/2 cube butter
1small onion chopped
1 cup sliced carrots (I used frozen)
1cup chopped celery
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, minced. (A zester makes this go so much faster!)
1/3 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth ( I always use chicken bouillon... It adds so much more flavor plus you can buy it in bulk at Costco or SAMs club, 1 cube to 1 cup water)
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with the juice... Do not drain!
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 1 Tbl)
1 tsp dried parsley (1 Tbl fresh)
1tsp dried basil (2-3 Tbl fresh)
Dash of red pepper flakes
Salt/pepper to taste
2 cups heavy cream, half and half or milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat butter and olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until almost done. Remove chicken from pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and bell pepper and cook for several minutes or until onions are translucent. Sprinkle in flour and cook while stirring for a few minutes. Mixture will be thick. Stir in broth starting with a cup or two and stir well to dissolve the flour. Add in the tomatoes, juice and all along with the spices. Cover pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken back in after about 15 minutes. You may have to turn heat up a little to resume boiling. While the soup is simmering, heat water with salt in a senate pan for pasta. Cook pasta until almost tender then add to soup. Finish off with Parmesan cheese and cream/half & half/milk. Stir until cheese melts. Enjoy!