A classic Italian deliciousness. Served with extra parmesan for a really cheesy and sharp flavour. A traditional Minestrone is cooked with pancetta but I used bacon because it is so much easier to find in my fridge (my kids eat too many club sandwiches!). You can leave it out for a vegetarian version. This soup has so much taste anyway, you hardly need the meat.
As for the pasta, any small pasta will do. I used small shells but small tubes or even small penne are also fine. don’t over cook the pasta. Like any Italian meal, pasta should be al dente. I like to serve it with dollops of basil pesto and parmesan flakes.
Minestrone soup
Classi Italian with all the deliciousness that comes with it. Ana amazing combination of flavours with the addition of pasta and delicious parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 rashers bacon finely chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 carrots diced small
- 2 sticks of celery diced small
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 sweet potato diced (approx. 1 x 1 cm)
- 400 grams can, chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup canellini beans cooked
- 6 cups chicken broth (or 2 stock cubes in water)
- 1 ½ cups of conchigliette pasta
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ tsp chilli powder optional
- 100 grams spinach leaves about ½ bunch
- 2 Tbsp of basil pesto
- 1 Tbsp Parmesan slices for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the bacon in olive oil until it starts to brown a little. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Season with salt and sauté until the vegetables lose their volume and start to brown a little. Add the tomato paste and stir. Pour in the wine and bring everything to a boil.
- Add the sweet potato, chopped tomatoes, beans, stock and thyme. Simmer until the sweet potato is cooked. Add the shells and simmer for another 5-6 minutes until the pasta is cooked al dente.
- Season with salt, pepper and chilli. Add the spinach leaves and stir.
- Serve the soup hot garnished with basil pesto and slices of parmesan cheese.
