Minestrone di Verdure

Ingredients

Minestrone

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 pasta

400g of borlotti beans, drained

40g of Parmesan, freshly grated

4 tbsp of olive oil

Pesto

80g of fresh basil

50g of pine nuts

3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped

120ml of olive oil

50g of Parmesan, freshly grated

How to Make

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

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

3.Add the prepared vegetables and stock and cook for about 12 minutes. Add the drained beans and pasta and cook for about 6–7 minutes, or until tender. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pesto

4.When ready to serve, heat the soup very gently and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and serve immediately

by Antonio Carluccio