Winter Minestrone And Garlic Bruschetta Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Separate the cloves of garlic from the heads and place in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle 1 ounce of olive oil over the unpeeled cloves and roast for 25 minutes until soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• Quarter the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and dice. Finely chop the basil and oregano.
• Halve the baguette lengthwise and toast until golden. Peel the skin off of the garlic cloves. Mash the softened garlic and spread on toasted bread. Cut the baguette into diagonal pieces.
• Mix the diced tomatoes, chopped basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and another ounce of olive oil together. Spoon the tomato mixture evenly over the garlic baguette pieces. Top each piece with one slice of goat cheese and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the goat cheese and tomatoes.
• To serve, garnish with sprigs of fresh basil and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it's too thick, I add more chicken stock.
• Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the baguette at a 45 degree angle in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with the cut clove of garlic.