An Adaptable Minestrone

Name: An Adaptable Minestrone
Ingredients: 1 handful of parsley, both stalk and leaves, chopped finely; 3 slices of pancetta or prosciutto, chopped; 1 clove of garlic, chopped finely; 1 small onion, diced; 1/2 stalk of celery, chopped; 1 medium carrot, chopped; 2 bay leaves; 1 small potato, peeled and sliced or diced; 1 small zucchini, diced; 2 big handfuls of greens (cabbage, spinach, chard, or a mixture), rinsed and roughly chopped; one 14-ounce (400-gram) tin borlotti beans, drained (or a handful of fresh borlotti beans, simmered until tender); Half of a 14-ounce (400-gram) tin of whole, peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 2 or 3 fresh Roma tomatoes); 1/4 cup rice, farro, or small pasta such as risoni, stelline; 4 cups (1 liter) vegetable stock; salt and pepper; grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional); toasted slices of bread for each bowl, for serving (optional); extra-virgin olive oil

18 ingredients

3 steps

Ingredients

1 handful of parsley, both stalk and leaves, chopped finely
3 slices of pancetta or prosciutto, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped finely
1 small onion, diced
1/2 stalk of celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 small potato, peeled and sliced or diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 big handfuls of greens (cabbage, spinach, chard, or a mixture), rinsed and roughly chopped
one 14-ounce (400-gram) tin borlotti beans, drained (or a handful of fresh borlotti beans, simmered until tender)
Half of a 14-ounce (400-gram) tin of whole, peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 2 or 3 fresh Roma tomatoes)
1/4 cup rice, farro, or small pasta such as risoni, stelline
4 cups (1 liter) vegetable stock
salt and pepper
grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
toasted slices of bread for each bowl, for serving (optional)
extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1

Gently saute the chopped parsley, pancetta, and garlic in 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot for 1 minute. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and bay leaves and continue cooking until the onion begins to become translucent.
2

Add the rest of the vegetables, beans, tomato, and rice (or farro or pasta). Season with salt and pepper. Cover with stock, bring to the boil and place a lid on top and cook until the vegetables are tender. Check for seasoning.
3

Serve the minestrone with a piece of toasted bread in the bottom or on the side of the bowl, and sprinkle over grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Artusi likes to put the Parmesan directly into the pot at the end rather than serve it on top.