Literally meaning ‘big soup’, minestrone is a hearty Italian dish half way between a soup and a stew. Vegetable-based, it was traditionally made from leftovers and whatever was in the garden or foraged nearby, so feel free to use this recipe as a guide for your own improvisations. Beans or pasta, often both, add substance and make it more filling, as does a little rice; small pasta shapes are best, but you can use bits and pieces of leftover or broken pasta. Cooking it in the soup adds flavour to the pasta while the starch it gives off thickens the soup. If you have homemade stock, use it as the base, otherwise just use water and let the vegetables flavour it; avoid commercial stocks, which tend to be overly strong. You could also poach a whole chicken to make stock and shred some of the meat into the soup. Freshly grated parmesan is optional (take inspiration from my friend Alessandro and throw the parmesan rind in the pot for extra flavour). If, like me, you like a touch of heat, stir in some chilli too. Italy and Spain being close neighbours, I enjoy it with a glass of Lustau Amontillado Sherry.
Serves 4
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