Genoese Minestrone With Pesto

This is a very simple minestrone, but also rich in garden vegetables, with the all-important addition of a few spoonfuls of pesto just before serving. Adding this strongly flavored Genoese sauce to the soup gives it a character all of its own. The recipe came from: The Italian Gourmet

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup  dried borlotti beans (red)
• 1⁄3 cup  dried cannellini beans
• 2  zucchini, trimmed and diced
• 2  eggplants, trimmed and diced
• 3  tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1  bunch celery, trimmed and diced
• 2  potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 5  ounces pasta, broken-up spaghetti or 5  ounces shell pasta or 5  ounces  anolini pasta or 5  ounces macaroni or 5  ounces penne
• 2  tablespoons basil pesto (such as Buitoni)

Directions

1. Soak the borlotti and cannellini beans for 12 hours in cold water to cover. Combine all the vegetables with the oil and salt in a large saucepan. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover; reduce heat to moderately low, and cook for about 1 hour, until the beans are tender.
2. Add the pasta, turn up the heat and cook until the pasta is al dente. Turn off the heat, add the pesto and stir at once with a wooden spoon. Serve immediately.