Soup in the summer? Yes! With all these beautiful seasonal vegetables, and delicious fresh pesto. Minestrone would be made with anything on hand. As such, there is no one canonical way to make the dish, but rather variations based on region, season, and availability. This is a version I like, but don’t be afraid to experiment.
PREP TIME

15 minutes

COOK TIME

10 minutes

SERVES

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients


  • 1 500g package Monograno Felicetti “Farro” Ditalini
  • 6 cups superior quality chicken broth
  • 2 cups equal parts onion and celery, diced small
  • 1 cup green beans, blanched and chopped
  • 1 cup fava beans, double peeled and blanched
  • 1 cup peas, blanched
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 4 handfuls basil leaves
  • 1 handful pine nuts
  • 2 handfuls Parmesan, grated superior quality olive oil
    salt to taste

Method


  1. boil ditalini in lightly salted water, according to instructions on packaging
  2. make pesto with mortar & pestle
  3. crush garlic to paste with pinch of salt
  4. add pine nuts and continue crushing
  5. add basil and continue crushing to paste, working quickly so as not to let it turn brown
  6. cover with olive oil
  7. heat chicken broth, set aside
  8. in separate pot, slowly cook onion and celery in olive oil for about 30 minutes until soft, season and add warm stock
  9. add all other ingredients except pesto, warm through
  10. Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with pesto