Minestrone Soup Ala Mario Batali Recipes

LIDIA'S MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat oil in an 8 to 10-quart stock pot over medium, sauté pancetta for approximately 3-4 minutes. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add tomatoes, raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Next, pour in chicken stock and water, carrots, celery, potatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for approximately 25 minutes. Add Swiss chard, cabbage and beans, bring heat back to high. Allow to boil then simmer over medium heat an additional 20 minutes. While soup simmers, cook pasta according to package instructions. Add drained pasta, salt and pepper to a stock pot, mix well and serve. Serves 6.

VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, rosemary, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the broth, 2 cups water, the cannellini beans, tomatoes, zucchini and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the zucchini is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the collard greens and simmer until the greens are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the orzo. Season with salt. Top with the shredded parmesan.
• Photograph Courtesy of Time Inc. Books/Alison Miksch.

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.

ITALIAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, roughly chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic clove, and pancetta cubes. Sautee on medium heat for a few minutes stirring a couple of times in the process.
• Add potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs and a couple of pinches of salt.
• Give a nice stir and add enough water to cover all the veggies.Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes. Add more liquid if needed.
• Past this time veggies will become super soft and will "melt" one into another creating delicious creamy texture.
• Once veggies are cooked add chopped savoy cabbage or other leafy greens and drained canned beans. Add more water if needed. Give a nice stir and cook for another 15 minutes.
• As a last step, add pasta or rice. Let cook for 5-15 more minutes depending on how long pasta or rice will take to cook.
• If you're not planning to serve minestrone right away, don't add pasta or rice immediately.Instead, bring the soup to a boil when you're ready to serve it and then add pasta or rice.
• Minestrone is ready to serve when pasta (rice) is cooked. I takes about 5-6 minutes for ditalini pasta and about 15 minutes for rice.
• Serve hot or warm generously topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.