Minestrone With Pancetta Recipes

BEST MINESTRONE SOUP RECIPE WITH PANCETTA

Steps:

• Place the Pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the Pancetta until crisp and remove it to a paper towel-lined plate for later use.
• Add 1-tablespoon olive oil and lower heat to medium-low. When oil shimmers, add the carrots and celery and cook for 2 minutes. Stir often.
• Add the onion, stirring often, and cook 2 minutes.
• Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cook 2 minutes. Stir often.
• Add the garlic, stir and cook 30 seconds more.
• Add red pepper flakes, seasoned tomatoes with juice, V8 juice, bay leaf, spinach and chicken broth. Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil.
• Add orzo and potatoes and bring the soup back to boil, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until orzo is cooked to al denté, about 10 minutes or per pasta package directions.
• Add beans and cook 5 minutes or until beans are heated through.
• Season to taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.
• Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with reserved crispy Pancetta, grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil.
• Serve immediately along with slices of toasty Italian bread.
• Enjoy!

THE BEST MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Return the pancetta to the pot, stir in the tomatoes and 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add the kale, beans and their liquid and pasta and continue to cook until the pasta is cooked through and the kale is tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with grated Parmesan.

WINTER MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem.)
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

CHEF JOHN'S MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions and celery; cook and stir until onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute.
• Pour chicken broth, water, and plum tomatoes into the pancetta and onion mixture. Bring to a simmer.
• Stir cranberry beans, cabbage, garbanzo beans, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and 2 teaspoons salt into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until cranberry beans are tender, adding more water as needed if the soup becomes too thick, about 45 minutes.
• Stir in Swiss chard and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Stir in pasta and increase heat to medium-high and simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Italian parsley.

FENNEL & PANCETTA MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Dry-fry the lardons for 7-10 mins or until they begin to release their oils. Add the spring onions and cook gently for 5 mins or until softened, then add the garlic and fennel seeds, and cook for a few mins more. Add the fennel, cook for a few mins, then pour in the stock and 500ml water.
• Simmer for 5 mins, then drop in the pasta and bring to the boil. Cook the pasta following pack instructions, then tip in the peas, cook for 2 mins more and season to taste. Divide between two bowls and top each with a dollop of pesto and some fennel fronds. Serve with crusty bread.

QUICK MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Make the soup base: In a medium-size heavy soup pot, combine the oil and pancetta over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat and cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the onion or shallots, celery and carrot. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to pot with cooked pancetta and adjust heat so the vegetables soften and cook without browning, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the other vegetables: Stirring after each addition, add the kale or cabbage, celery, carrots, zucchini, beans and tomatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Add the stock and 1 cup water (or, if you prefer a soup that's not as thick, add additional stock to taste, up to 2 cups). Add the herb sprigs. Cover, raise the heat and bring to a full boil. Uncover, lower the heat to a bubbly simmer, and cook 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the herb sprigs.
• Serve in bowls, drizzling a little olive oil and sprinkling a big pinch of cheese over each serving.

MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large bowl let the white beans soak in enough water to cover them by 2 inches overnight or quick-soak them. Drain the white beans, in a saucepan combine them with enough water to cover them by 2 inches, and simmer them, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep them barely covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are tender. Add the salt and simmer the white beans for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let the white beans stand, uncovered.
• In a heavy kettle cook the pancetta in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp and pale golden, add the onion, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the carrots, the celery, and the garlic and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, the green beans, and the potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and the kale and cook the mixture, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted. Add the tomatoes and the broth and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour.
• Drain the white beans, reserving the liquid, in a blender or food processor purée half of them with 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and stir the purée and the remaining white beans into the soup. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 15 minutes, thin it if desired with some of the remaining reserve liquid, and season it with salt and pepper. The soup may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Reheat the soup, thinning it with water as desired. Serve the soup with the Parmesan, the bruschetta, and the sausages.

SWEET POTATO MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, with the juice, broth, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

MINESTRONE WITH PANCETTA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cook pancetta over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Add leek and onion; cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in vegetables, the water, and tomatoes; simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Add cannellini beans and pasta, and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with herbs and Parmesan cheese.

KALE MINESTRONE WITH PISTOU

Steps:

• Minestrone:
• Tie oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves together with kitchen twine.
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Add pancetta, if using, and cook, stirring often, until browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add onion, leek, carrots, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and carrots are tender, 10-12 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring to coat, until slightly darkened, about 3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, then herb bundle, Parmesan rind, if using, and 6 cups water or reserved bean cooking liquid, or a combination. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender and flavors have melded, 20-25 minutes. Add kale and beans; cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Discard Parmesan rind and herb bundle.
• Do ahead: Soup can be made 2 days ahead (or 2 months if frozen). Let cool; transfer to airtight containers and chill.
• Pistou and assembly:
• Pulse garlic and basil in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in oil, Parmesan, and lemon zest; season with salt. Serve soup topped with pistou.

CLASSIC MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole pot over a low-medium heat and gently fry the onion, celery, carrot, courgette and pancetta for 10 mins. Add the garlic and oregano, and cook for 1 min. Tip in the beans, chopped tomatoes, purée, stock and bay leaf. Season to taste. Bring to the simmer and cook for 30 mins.
• Add the pasta and greens, and cook for a further 10 mins. Ladle into bowls and scatter with the basil and some parmesan.