Shelly's Recipe

HEARTY MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Category: Soups

Minestrone
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/3 inch rings
1 stalk celery, sliced into 1/3 inch slices
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 small head green cabbage, shredded (2 to 3 cups)
10 cups vegetable stock or water
1 medium potato, scrubbed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch rings
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
1 (14-oz) can of chopped tomatoes with juice
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 heel or rind of Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 lb fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 cup pasta: elbow macaroni, small shells, broken spaghetti or linguine
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese to pass
Pesto
3 cups basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, carrots and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is slightly tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cabbage and stir for 2 more minutes, until the cabbage is wilted. Add the vegetable stock or water and the potato, parsnip, turnip, tomatoes with the juice, bay leaf, oregano and Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and add the kosher salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans. If making the soup a day ahead, stop here and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, raise the heat of the soup to medium to create a gentle boil. Add the peas, green beans and pasta, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is just tender. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and a dollop of Pesto.

Pesto (makes 1 to 1 1/3 cups): In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the basil and garlic until a rough puree is formed. Slowly add the olive oil, pine nuts and cheese. Adjust the seasoning with salt. Serve right away or refrigerate with a layer of olive oil on top to preserve the color. Servings: 6 to 8