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Super Quick Minestrone
 
recipe image
Prep Time: 0 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 8
I can't figure out why Michael Chiarello called this recipe quick . LOL! The prep is time consuming, but sooo worth it!
Ingredients:
1 cup (4 ounces) tubetti pasta, or other small pasta shape
extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 3 pieces
6 medium garlic cloves, each cut in 1/2 lengthwise
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small onions)
1 cup small-diced celery (2 medium stalks)
1 cup small-diced carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots)
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves
1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups small-diced zucchini (green/yellow) (5 small zucchini)
2 cups small-diced, peeled russet potatoes (1 large russet)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a baking sheet. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the chicken stock.
3. In another large saucepan over high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the pancetta and cook until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, and carrots.
4. Cook until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add the chopped herbs. Raise the heat to high. Add the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then bring it down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes, skimming any foam off the top of the soup. Season generously with pepper. Add salt, to taste. Just a few minutes before serving, add the cooked tubetti pasta. Serve warm with Parmesan and olive oil passed at the table.
5. Cooking notes: Add the cooked pasta just before serving. If it sits in the soup too long, it develops a flabby texture. Tubetti (little hollow tubes) are the classic pasta for minestrone, but you could substitute another small shape of pasta.
6. Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
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8. Recipe Summary
9. Difficulty: Easy
10. Prep Time: 30 minutes
11. Cook Time: 40 minutes
12. Yield: 8 to 10 servings
13. User Rating: 5 Stars
14. Mel's notes: I used six cans of chicken broth, not six cups. Could have used more beans. I also used 8 oz of pasta and four cups of potatoes. I didn't have pancetta, so I used about a 1/3lb of bacon. Great soup! But it takes a lot of prep time.
15. September 2, 2006
By RecipeOfHealth.com