Classic Italian Minestrone Soup with Pasta
Serves 6
15 mins prep
25 mins cook
40 mins total
This recipe for a traditional minestrone soup is my kind of everyday Italian cooking — it’s simple, hearty, and endlessly adaptable. You can make it year-round with a mix of basic pantry vegetables and dried pasta (or whatever’s fresh from your garden). Best of all, it comes together in about 40 minutes.
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Heat the olive oil in a large (5 or 6 quart) soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, celery and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables become softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, herbs and chili. Cook one minute, until fragrant. Add the tomato puree or crushed tomatoes, canned beans, green beans, 2 teaspoons salt and the Parmesan rind, if using. Pour in the broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cook 25 minutes, uncovered.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water. Cook until the pasta is al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
Add the pasta to the soup and stir in the greens until they wilt. Add the parsley. Taste the soup for seasoning (if you used water, the soup will need another teaspoon or so of salt). The starch from the pasta will thicken the soup as it sits. Serve in bowls, with grated cheese on top.
