A deeply flavoured Italian vegetable soup on a smoky pancetta base, with carrot, celery, courgette, cavolo nero and borlotti beans, and ditalini pasta to make it a meal. Finished with extra-virgin olive oil and plenty of grated Parmesan. The pasta keeps drinking the stock, so loosen leftovers with a little water when you reheat them.
1piece
100g
3clove
400g
40g
3tbsp
2piece
2piece
2tbsp
400g
1,200ml
1tsp
0.5tsp
1piece
100g
80g
2tbsp| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 1piece | — | — | |
| 2 | | 100g | — | — | |
| 3 | | 3clove | — | — | |
| 4 | | 400g | — | — | |
| 5 | | 40g | — | — | |
| 6 | | 3tbsp | — | — | |
| 7 | | 2piece | — | — | |
| 8 | | 2piece | — | — | |
| 9 | | 2tbsp | — | — | |
| 10 | | 400g | — | — | |
| 11 | | 1,200ml | — | — | |
| 12 | | 1tsp | — | — | |
| 13 | | 0.5tsp | — | — | |
| 14 | | 1piece | — | — | |
| 15 | | 100g | — | — | |
| 16 | | 80g | — | — | |
| 17 | | 2tbsp | — | — |
Peel the onion and discard the skin.
Yellow onion · 1 piece
Dice the peeled onion into small, even pieces.
Tip the diced onion into the large heavy-based saucepan and set aside while you prepare the rest.
Dice the smoked pancetta into small cubes.
Smoked pancetta · 100 gTip the diced smoked pancetta into the saucepan with the onion.
Crush each garlic clove lightly with the flat of the knife and slip off the skins.
Garlic clove · 3 cloveThinly slice the peeled garlic cloves.
Tip the sliced garlic into the saucepan with the onion and pancetta.
Tip the borlotti beans into a colander and drain away the liquid.
Tinned borlotti beans · 400 g
Tip the drained borlotti beans into a small bowl and set aside.
Finely grate the Parmesan into a second small bowl.
Parmesan · 40 g
Hold the celery sticks under cold running water in the colander to rinse them clean.
Celery · 2 pieceLift the rinsed celery onto the chopping board.
Pour the olive oil into the large heavy-based saucepan.
Light olive oil · 3 tbspSauté the diced pancetta in the hot olive oil over a medium heat, stirring, until the fat renders and the pieces are lightly golden.
Add the diced celery to the saucepan with the rendered pancetta.
Rinse the carrots under cold running water in the colander.
Carrots · 2 pieceLift the rinsed carrots onto the chopping board.
Peel the rinsed carrots and discard the skins.
Dice the peeled carrots into small, even pieces.
Add the diced carrots to the saucepan with the celery, pancetta and onion.
Sauté the diced onion, celery, carrots and rendered pancetta together over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to colour.
Stir the sliced garlic through the softened onion, celery, carrot and pancetta base and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the tomato purée to the softened vegetable and garlic base.
Tomato purée · 2 tbspSauté the tomato purée with the softened vegetable and garlic base, stirring constantly, until it darkens to a deep rust colour.
Add the tinned chopped tomatoes to the darkened tomato purée and vegetable base and stir well.
Tinned chopped tomatoes · 400 gPour the vegetable stock into the tomato and vegetable base and stir to combine.
Vegetable stock · 1,200 mlAdd the salt to the minestrone soup base and stir through.
Salt · 1 tspAdd the black pepper to the salted minestrone soup base and stir through.
Ground black pepper · 0.5 tspBring the seasoned minestrone soup base to a rolling boil over a high heat.
Reduce the heat and simmer the boiling minestrone soup base gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Rinse the courgette under cold running water in the colander.
Courgette · 1 pieceLift the rinsed courgette onto the chopping board.
Dice the rinsed courgette into small, even cubes.
Add the diced courgette to the simmered minestrone soup base and stir to combine.
Rinse the cavolo nero thoroughly under cold running water in the colander.
Cavolo nero · 100 gLift the rinsed cavolo nero onto the chopping board.
Roughly chop the rinsed cavolo nero into bite-sized pieces, discarding any tough stems.
Add the chopped cavolo nero to the minestrone with courgette and stir through.
Add the drained borlotti beans to the minestrone with courgette and cavolo nero and stir to combine.
Simmer the minestrone with courgette, cavolo nero and beans gently for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Add the ditalini pasta to the minestrone with tender vegetables and beans and stir well.
Ditalini pasta · 80 gSimmer the minestrone with pasta for about 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender.
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 piece | | Peel the onion and discard the skin.⏱ 30sResultPeeled yellow onion |
| 2 | Peeled yellow onionstep 1 | | Dice the peeled onion into small, even pieces.⏱ 2 minResultDiced onion |
| 3 | Diced onionstep 2 | | Tip the diced onion into the large heavy-based saucepan and set aside while you prepare the rest.⏱ 10sResultDiced onion |
| 4 | 100 g | | Dice the smoked pancetta into small cubes.⏱ 1 minResultDiced smoked pancetta |
| 5 | Diced smoked pancettastep 4 | | Tip the diced smoked pancetta into the saucepan with the onion.⏱ 10sResultDiced onion and diced smoked pancetta |
| 6 | 3 clove | | Crush each garlic clove lightly with the flat of the knife and slip off the skins.⏱ 30sResultPeeled garlic cloves |
| 7 | Peeled garlic clovesstep 6 | | Thinly slice the peeled garlic cloves.⏱ 1 minResultSliced garlic |
| 8 | Sliced garlicstep 7 | | Tip the sliced garlic into the saucepan with the onion and pancetta.⏱ 10sResultSliced garlic and diced onion and diced smoked pancetta |
| 9 | 400 g | | Tip the borlotti beans into a colander and drain away the liquid.⏱ 1 minResultDrained borlotti beans |
| 10 | Drained borlotti beansstep 9 | | Tip the drained borlotti beans into a small bowl and set aside.⏱ 5sResultDrained borlotti beansused in step 41 |
| 11 | 40 g | | Finely grate the Parmesan into a second small bowl.⏱ 2 minResultGrated parmesanused in step 47 |
| 12 | 2 piece | | Hold the celery sticks under cold running water in the colander to rinse them clean.⏱ 30sResultRinsed celery |
| 13 | — | | Lift the rinsed celery onto the chopping board.⏱ 5sResultRinsed celery |
| 14 | — | | Dice the rinsed celery into small, even pieces.⏱ 1 minResultDiced celeryused in step 17 |
| 15 | 3 tbsp | | Pour the olive oil into the large heavy-based saucepan.⏱ 10sResultSliced garlic and diced onion mixture |
| 16 | — | | Sauté the diced pancetta in the hot olive oil over a medium heat, stirring, until the fat renders and the pieces are lightly golden.⏱ 4 minResultRendered pancetta |
| 17 | Diced celerystep 14 | | Add the diced celery to the saucepan with the rendered pancetta.⏱ 10sResultDiced celery and rendered pancetta |
| 18 | 2 piece | | Rinse the carrots under cold running water in the colander.⏱ 30sResultRinsed carrots |
| 19 | — | | Lift the rinsed carrots onto the chopping board.⏱ 5sResultRinsed carrots |
| 20 | — | | Peel the rinsed carrots and discard the skins.⏱ 30sResultPeeled carrots |
| 21 | — | | Dice the peeled carrots into small, even pieces.⏱ 2 minResultDiced carrots |
| 22 | Diced carrotsstep 21 | | Add the diced carrots to the saucepan with the celery, pancetta and onion.⏱ 10sResultDiced carrots and diced celery and rendered pancetta |
| 23 | — | | Sauté the diced onion, celery, carrots and rendered pancetta together over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to colour.⏱ 8 minResultCarrot mixture |
| 24 | — | | Stir the sliced garlic through the softened onion, celery, carrot and pancetta base and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.⏱ 30sResultSoftened vegetable and garlic base |
| 25 | 2 tbsp | | Add the tomato purée to the softened vegetable and garlic base.⏱ 10sResultSoftened vegetable and garlic base and tomato purée |
| 26 | — | | Sauté the tomato purée with the softened vegetable and garlic base, stirring constantly, until it darkens to a deep rust colour.⏱ 2 minResultDarkened tomato purée and vegetable base |
| 27 | 400 g | | Add the tinned chopped tomatoes to the darkened tomato purée and vegetable base and stir well.⏱ 30sResultTomato-enriched vegetable base |
| 28 | 1,200 ml | | Pour the vegetable stock into the tomato and vegetable base and stir to combine.⏱ 30sResultMinestrone soup base |
| 29 | 1 tsp | | Add the salt to the minestrone soup base and stir through.⏱ 15sResultSalted minestrone soup base |
| 30 | 0.5 tsp | | Add the black pepper to the salted minestrone soup base and stir through.⏱ 15sResultSeasoned minestrone soup base |
| 31 | — | | Bring the seasoned minestrone soup base to a rolling boil over a high heat.⏱ 4 minResultBrought-to-the-boil minestrone base |
| 32 | — | | Reduce the heat and simmer the boiling minestrone soup base gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.⏱ 15 minResultSimmered minestrone soup base |
| 33 | 1 piece | | Rinse the courgette under cold running water in the colander.⏱ 30sResultRinsed courgette |
| 34 | — | | Lift the rinsed courgette onto the chopping board.⏱ 5sResultRinsed courgette |
| 35 | — | | Dice the rinsed courgette into small, even cubes.⏱ 1 minResultDiced courgette |
| 36 | Diced courgettestep 35 | | Add the diced courgette to the simmered minestrone soup base and stir to combine.⏱ 30sResultMinestrone with courgette |
| 37 | 100 g | | Rinse the cavolo nero thoroughly under cold running water in the colander.⏱ 30sResultRinsed cavolo nero |
| 38 | — | | Lift the rinsed cavolo nero onto the chopping board.⏱ 5sResultRinsed cavolo nero |
| 39 | — | | Roughly chop the rinsed cavolo nero into bite-sized pieces, discarding any tough stems.⏱ 1 minResultChopped cavolo nero |
| 40 | Chopped cavolo nerostep 39 | | Add the chopped cavolo nero to the minestrone with courgette and stir through.⏱ 30sResultMinestrone with courgette and cavolo nero |
| 41 | Drained borlotti beansstep 10 | | Add the drained borlotti beans to the minestrone with courgette and cavolo nero and stir to combine.⏱ 30sResultMinestrone with courgette, cavolo nero and beans |
| 42 | — | | Simmer the minestrone with courgette, cavolo nero and beans gently for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.⏱ 10 minResultMinestrone with tender vegetables and beans |
| 43 | 80 g | | Add the ditalini pasta to the minestrone with tender vegetables and beans and stir well.⏱ 30sResultMinestrone with pasta |
| 44 | — | | Simmer the minestrone with pasta for about 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender.⏱ 9 minResultCooked minestrone |
| Total Time | 1 hr 11 min | ||
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| 614kcal | |
| 22g | |
| 35g | |
| 9g | |
| 60g | |
| 9g | |
| 10g | |
| 3,982mg |
A deeply flavoured Italian vegetable soup on a smoky pancetta base, with carrot, celery, courgette, cavolo nero and borlotti beans, and ditalini pasta to make it a meal. Finished with extra-virgin olive oil and plenty of grated Parmesan. The pasta keeps drinking the stock, so loosen leftovers with a little water when you reheat them.
What you’ll doYou will start by sautéing pancetta with onion, celery, and carrot until soft and lightly coloured, then cook off tomato purée until it darkens before adding tinned tomatoes and stock. After a 15-minute simmer, courgette, cavolo nero, and borlotti beans go in for a further 10 minutes, followed by the pasta for around 9 minutes more. The critical moments are catching the tomato purée at the right depth of colour and pulling the pasta off the heat before it overcooks.
