Mark Bittmans Minestrone Recipes

Steps:

• Make the soup base: In a medium-size heavy soup pot, combine the oil and pancetta over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat and cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the onion or shallots, celery and carrot. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to pot with cooked pancetta and adjust heat so the vegetables soften and cook without browning, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the other vegetables: Stirring after each addition, add the kale or cabbage, celery, carrots, zucchini, beans and tomatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Add the stock and 1 cup water (or, if you prefer a soup that's not as thick, add additional stock to taste, up to 2 cups). Add the herb sprigs. Cover, raise the heat and bring to a full boil. Uncover, lower the heat to a bubbly simmer, and cook 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the herb sprigs.
• Serve in bowls, drizzling a little olive oil and sprinkling a big pinch of cheese over each serving.

Steps:

• Put 3 tablespoons oil in a large, deep saucepan or casserole over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion, carrots, and zucchini. Cook, stirring, until onion softens and vegetables begin to caramelize, 10 minutes or so.
• Add corn and beans; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute or 2, then add 6 cups water and tomato; bring to a boil, then adjust heat so mixture bubbles gently. Cook, stirring every now and then, until vegetables are fairly soft and tomatoes have broken up, about 15 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup basil and adjust heat once again so mixture simmers. Cook until all vegetables are very tender, 5 to 15 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and serve, passing basil and cheese at table.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, over medium heat. Add leek, carrots, zucchini, green beans and celery. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
• Stir in the stock, tomatoes and thyme. Bring to a boil, then replace the lid, and reduce heat to low; simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the cannellini beans with liquid and pasta. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight in water to cover. Discard the water. Add fresh water to cover and simmer until the beans are soft, about 30 to 45 minutes. Allow them to cool in their water.
• In a large, heavy casserole, soften the onion, garlic and leeks in the olive oil. Add the celery, carrots, zucchini, string beans and potato and saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes.
• Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a boil in a separate pan. Add to the soup ingredients and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours covered. The soup should be thick, not watery. If it is too watery, uncover and cook until thickened.
• Add the beans and cook for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Before serving, sprinkle the soup with parsley. Serve with a small jug of extra virgin olive oil on the side and a bowl of grated Parmesan cheese. The oil and the cheese are added separately.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
• While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
• Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
• Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.

Steps:

• Bring the stock to the boil with the tomatoes, then add the spaghetti and cook for 6 mins or until done. A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the vegetables and bring back to the boil. Simmer for 2 mins until everything is cooked.
• Serve in bowls drizzled with pesto and oil, sprinkled with parmesan.