Genovese Minestrone: It's Green & Cheesey — What More Could You Want?

I made this last night — it’s really one of my most favorite soups ever. It’s based somewhat on a Green Minestrone Rachael Ray made once on 30 Minute Meals but I tend to vary the ingredients slightly based on my mood and what I have on hand. Here is what I did last night.

Genovese Minestrone

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 of a sweet onion (such as Walla Walla), diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 quart chicken stock
1 small red potato, scrubbed and diced
8 oz French green beans, trimmed and washed, with the larger ones cut in half — this translates into a few big handfuls or so
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 can cannelloni (or other white) beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup dried penne pasta (I used wheat pasta — but regular pasta is fine too)
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach

Pesto:

2 cups (or so) loosely packed basil leaves
1 handful of pine nuts
1/4 cup (or so) grated parmesan cheese
1 small clove of garlic
Olive Oil

Measure the olive oil into a pre-heated, heavy soup pot. Add onions, garlic and zucchini. I also usually add a little salt here, although I also tend to add more later, after I taste it. Sauté for a few minutes until the veggies soften and get a little color. Add the stock. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for a few minutes. Add the potato, green beans, red pepper flakes, the beans and the penne. Let the soup continue to simmer until the pasta and potato are done — about 10 more minutes or so.

I also added a chopped yellow tomato last night as it was very ripe and I really needed to use it. That’s one of the things I really like about making vegetable-y soups at home — you can add whatever you have and need to use!

While everything is simmering away, make the pesto. Put the basil, cheese, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor or chopper and process briefly. Start streaming in a little olive oil until it just comes together. I don’t make this as thinned out as I would if I were making it for pasta. For the soup, I limit the olive oil so that it is more like a paste than a sauce, (and that’s just me, I know a lot of people like thicker pesto for pasta too). So, you know, do what you want, I guess, this is just what I do!

I think I’d make a terrible cooking show host. I’d proclaim, “oh, you know, do what you want. This is just what I do. Whatever. As long as it tastes good to you, who cares how you get there…” Oh but I’d be all, “wash your hands after touching raw poultry and other meat!” because, really, that’s important. After that, it’s all good.

Where was I? Oh, yeah, the pesto:

When the pasta and potatoes are done, add the spinach and let it wilt down. Then, turn off the heat and add the pesto to the soup, while stirring so that it all gets incorporated. Taste the concoction and add salt and pepper as needed.

This makes about four bowls of soup and is really good with sourdough bread. Or butter rolls. Or probably any manner of bread product you can mosey on up.

For added fanciness, garnish the top with more fresh basil and maybe even a bit more cheese (because really, can you ever have enough cheese?) But last night I was hungry and not so much into the garnishing as I was say, the eating.

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Crockery Corner:

I got this * Pasta * bowl at either Pier 1 or Cost Plus World Market a couple of years ago. I used to have two, but I broke one. It’s over-sized and well, great for pasta. I should really go get another one and replace the one I broke.

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Tonight I think I’m going to make a goat cheese pesto and toss that with some pasta and perhaps make a big salad. It’s supposed to be warm today, but I think if I serve the pasta at room temperature, it’ll be fine. Plus, I’m really just all intrigued by this goat cheese pesto recipe I found. I’m sure I will post about it next week.

I also need to run to the liquor store and get some gin, because I really want to make some Bees Knees this weekend — thanks, Christy!