Recipe - Minestrone di Verdure with Pesto

Serves - 4 | Prepare - 30 mins | Level - Beginner

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What you’ll need

Soup

• 1kg mixed vegetables, such as carrot, celery, cabbage, potato, aubergine and courgette, cubed

• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 2l stock, (beef, chicken or vegetable)150g of tubettini, ditalini, elbow or small pasta

• 400g of borlotti or cannellini beans, drained

• 40g of Parmesan, freshly grated

• 4 tbsp of olive oil

Pesto

• 80g of fresh basil

• 50g of pine nuts

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 120ml of olive oil

• 50g of Parmesan, freshly grated
  
  

Method

Step 1

Begin by making the pesto. Place the fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic and a pinch of salt in a blender and blitz until you have a smooth paste. Add the olive oil, Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of water if the mixture looks too dry. You want a thick liquid consistency.

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the garlic and onion for 2 minutes

Step 3

Add the prepared vegetables and stock and cook for about 12 minutes. Add the drained beans and pasta and cook for about 8–10 minutes, or until tender. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pesto. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and serve immediately.