Baz's Minestrone Soup

A heartwarming recipe for winter, adapted from several others.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 3  slices bacon
• 1  large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2  garlic cloves (or 2 tsps crushed or minced garlic)
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  tablespoon  finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2  celery ribs, sliced
• 1  large carrot, peeled, chopped
• 2  medium potatoes, peeled, chopped into small cubes
• 2  tablespoons tomato paste
• 1  zucchini, chopped
• 1 (400 g) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (400 g) can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed (or cannellini beans)
• 1  liter  beef stock (or vegetable)
• 150  g  short macaroni
• 150  g peas (frozen or fresh)
• 60  g  baby spinach leaves
• 2  tablespoons pesto sauce
•  parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions

1. Remove the rind from the bacon then cut into small squares (approx. 3/4 cm square). Chop the onion coarsely into similar small dice and finely chop or crush garlic.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stock pot. Add the bacon, onion, garlic and rosemary and cook over low heat for at least 5 minutes until everything has started to soften.
3. Add celery, carrot, potato and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more.
4. Add zucchini, tomatoes, beans and stock (preheat the stock if you want to speed up the process) and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1.5 hours. (Check and stir occasionally to ensure it doesn’t catch on the bottom. If soup is looking too thick, top up with stock or water.).
5. Add the pasta, peas and spinach (the soup needs to be quite liquid as the pasta will thicken it as it cooks. Add more liquid if required). Simmer, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes.
6. Season the soup with salt and pepper, then stir in the pesto. Serve in bowls topped with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese.