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Minestrone with Pesto
Serves 6 Prep 20 min Cook 2 hr Total 2 hr 20 min Type Meal Origin Italian

Minestrone with Pesto

Italy's minestrone with pesto: a thick vegetable soup of beans, pasta and seasonal greens.

Serves 6 Prep 20 minutes Cook 120 minutes Units Rate

Overview

This hearty Italian minestrone soup is loaded with vegetables, beans, and pasta, topped with fresh pesto. A comforting and nutritious dish that captures the essence of Italian home cooking. Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal.

Ingredients

Protein

  • 60 grams pancetta (chopped)

Fat

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Vegetables

  • 1 onion (large, coarsely chopped)
  • 1 celery stick (halved length-ways then cut into 1 cm slices)
  • 1 carrot (halved length-ways then cut into 1 cm slices)
  • 1 potato (diced)
  • 2 thin zucchini (cut into 1 ½ cm slices)
  • 60 grams green beans (cut into 4 cm lengths)
  • 80 grams silverbeet leaves (shredded)

Aromatics

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley (freshly chopped)
  • 6 fresh basil leaves (torn)

Seasonings

  • 125 grams dried borlotti beans
  • 2 teaspoons tomato purée
  • 400 grams tinned tomatoes (chopped)
  • 2 litres stock (beef, chicken or vegetable)
  • 75 grams ditalini (or other small pasta)

Pesto

  • 30 grams fresh basil leaves
  • 20 grams pine nuts (toasted)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 100 ml olive oil
  • 25 grams Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

Method

Stage 1 - Prepare beans and cook base

  1. Put the beans in a large bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse under cold water.
  2. Place the onion, garlic, parsley and pancetta in a food processor and process into a fine paste.
  3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the pancetta mixture and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally for about 8 - 10 minutes.
  4. Add the celery, carrot and potato and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste, tomato, basil and the borlotti beans.
  5. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
  6. Add the stock and bring slowly to the boil.
  7. Cover and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stage 2 - Simmer soup

  1. Season to taste and add the zucchini, green beans, silverbeet and the pasta.
  2. Simmer for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the vegetables and pasta are al dente.

Stage 3 - Make pesto and serve

  1. Place the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor, and add the olive oil.
  2. Purée for about 10 seconds until the mixture is smooth.
  3. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the cheese.
  4. Season with salt and set aside.
  5. Serve the soup in bowls with the pesto on top, with warm fresh bread or rolls.

Notes

  • Beans: Soak overnight for best texture; can use canned for quicker prep.
  • Pesto: Make fresh for best flavor; add just before serving.
  • Vegetables: Cut uniformly for even cooking.

Serving

Serve hot with fresh pesto and bread.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days; flavors improve. Reheat gently; add fresh pesto.

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Pesto

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Pesto represents the height of simplicity: five ingredients (basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan) combined to create a sauce of profound flavor and silky texture. The key to successful pesto lies in ingredient quality and processing technique. Fresh, fragrant basil is non-negotiable; aged or heat-stressed basil creates harsh, off-flavored results. Pine nuts must be fresh (rancid pine nuts ruin pesto instantly). Garlic should be mild and rounded by the pesto's other elements. Parmesan must be freshly grated; pre-grated cheese creates a grainy, inferior result. Traditional pesto is made by mortar and pestle, which bruises rather than cuts the basil, preserving its vibrant green color and fresh character. Modern food processors work adequately but can create a less vibrant result if over-processed.

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