Minestrone Alla Romagnola Recipes

CLASSIC MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic and rosemary until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomato sauce, beans and 2 1/2 cups water. Add broth, zucchini, pasta and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and additional parsley, if desired.

CLAUDETTE'S MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large pot combine the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, beans, tomato paste and water. Cook over medium heat until all the vegetables are tender.
• Transfer soup to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Return to pot and stir in the pasta. Cook until pasta is done. Serve with Romano or Parmesan cheese, if desired.

MINESTRONE ALLA ROMAGNOLA

Steps:

• • 1 Soak the zucchini in a large bowl of water at least 20 minutes. Drain and dice fine. Soak the green beans in water, drain, trim and dice. • 2 In a large stockpot, mix the oil, butter and sliced onion. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until onion wilts and becomes pale gold, but not darker. • 3 Add the diced carrots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the celery and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the green beans and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. • 4 Add the broth, water, cheese rind, and tomatoes with juice. Salt very lightly. Stir thoroughly. Cover the pot, and lower the heat to simmer. • When the soup has cooked 2 1/2 hours, add the drained cannellini beans. Stir and cook another 30 minutes. Just before serving, remove the cheese rind. Swirl in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Note: While one vegetable is cooking, peel and cut up another.

MINESTRONE ALLA ROMAGNOLA

Steps:

• Soak zucchini in cold water for 20 minutes. Dice fine. Soak green beans and snip ends and dice them. Cook onion in butter and oil until it wilts and becomes a pale gold in a large stockpot. Add diced carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes longer. Add celery and potatoes in turn repeating same procedure. Add green beans and zucchini. After a few minutes add shredded cabbage and continue cooking another 5-6 minutes. Add broth and optional cheese crust, tomatoes with juice and sprinkling of salt. Cover, lower heat and simmer 2 1/2 hours. Add cannellini beans and cook for at least another 30 minutes. Cook until consistence is fairly dense. It should not be watery. When soup is done, remove the cheese crust, correct for salt and swirl in parmesan cheese. Variations - Add in frozen peas or pasta at the end.

MINESTRONE ALLA MILANESE

Steps:

• Heat butter in 6 quart stock pot over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 6-8 minutes until soft and golden, but not brown.
• Stir in carrots and potato; cook and stir 5 minutes. Add celery, green beans, zucchini, cabbage and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes.
• Add broth, water and tomatoes to pot. Stir in all spices.
• Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to low. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Rinse and drain cannelini beans; add to pot along with pasta. Uncover and cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes until soup thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.