a pretty swell minestrone preparation time 15 minutes // cooking time 40 minutes // serves 4–6 1. In the biggest saucepan that you own, add the oil and place over medium heat. Once it’s pretty hot, add the bacon and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes or until the onion softens. Add the garlic and continue to stir occasionally until the ingredients look golden brown. This will take a few minutes. 2. Pour in the tomatoes, beef stock, 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) of water and season to taste with pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through (depending on how big you dice the veg). 3. Add the macaroni and cook for 5 minutes. You want the broccoli to stay nice and green, rather than turn grey, so add this along with the cannellini beans when the pasta is almost cooked. If desired, add some chopped parsley at this point. Season to taste with salt. 4. For the pesto, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Lay the pine nuts on a baking tray and roast for 5 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool completely, then combine with the basil leaves, garlic and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped. While the machine is running, pour in the oil. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the parmesan. 5. Serve the soup with some crusty bread and the pesto, or cheese and mustard on toast if you like.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 3 bacon rashers (185 g/6V oz), rind removed and chopped 1 brown onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 celery stalk, diced 2 garlic cloves, sliced 400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) beef stock, made from cubes 100 g (3V oz/C⁄d cup) macaroni 150 g (5V oz) broccoli (about 1 small head), chopped into florets 400 g (14 oz) tin cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed V cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, chopped (optional) crusty bread, to serve pesto 40 g (1V oz/W cup) pine nuts 1 cup basil leaves 1 garlic clove, crushed 60 ml (2 fl oz/W cup) olive oil 35 g (1W oz/W cup) finely grated parmesan cheese
just like mum makes
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