Minestrone
INGREDIENTS
- 2 onions, peeled
- 2 carrots, peeled
- 1 courgette
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 potatoes, peeled
- 1 tomato
- 50g/2oz green beans
- 1 small cauliflower
- 1 small head of broccoli
- 1 Swiss chard leaf
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 100g/3½oz peas
- 3 handfuls of alphabet pasta shapes
- handful of spinach leaves
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- parmesan cheese, freshly grated, to serve
DIRECTIONS
- Method
- 1. Cut the onions, carrots, courgette, celery, potatoes and tomato into 1cm/½in dice.
- 2. Top and tail the green beans and cut them into 1cm/½in lengths. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into small florets. Separate the green leaf from the stalk of the Swiss chard and set aside. Cut the stalk into 1cm/½in dice.
- 3. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan, add the onions, carrots and garlic, and sweat gently for 2-3 minutes. Then add the courgette, celery, potatoes, green beans and Swiss chard stalk and sweat until the vegetables start to yield a little moisture.
- 4. Put half the peas in a bowl and crush with the back of a fork. Add to the pan with the whole peas and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- 5. Cover the vegetables with double the volume of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- 6. Add the pasta, cook for 10 minutes, then add the broccoli and cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes.
- 7. Roughly chop the spinach and the Swiss chard leaf and add to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes longer, then add the tomato and warm through for a minute or two. Season to taste and serve with grated parmesan.
- by Giorgio Locatelli