Jul 12, 2010
Nice, basic recipe for the humble but delicious Minestrone, with plenty of wiggle room for your own creativity or to use whatever vegetables are to your liking or what you have on hand. I made my own beef broth and along with the sausage I included the beef from the meaty bones I used. Added celery, onions and mushrooms with the carrots, along with some Tuscan seasoning. I used cannellini beans since I prefer them, and at the end threw in ditalini pasta (about 1 c. uncooked) which I had cooked ahead of time so the pasta wouldn't absorb too much of the broth. Instead of the canned tomatoes I used tomatoes I had put up from my garden. There really is no right or wrong when making Italian soups like this, and the fun thing about it is that it never turns out exactly the same way twice! Sometimes I like to add a glug of red wine, or maybe rice, or various shapes of soup pasta. I did use fresh spinach this time, but Swiss Chard or escarole are nice too! To truly be authentic, sprinkle each serving with good, freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese!
—naples34102