In our home, soup is larger than life. My husband, Craig, loves it so much that he frequently prefers a bowl of soup over cereal for breakfast. He puts his passion to work in the kitchen, creating every soup recipe for Pastini from scratch.

I love the idea of welcoming spring with a big bowl of fresh minestrone. Its hearty texture and deep flavors make it one of our customer favorites at Pastini. It combines plenty of veggies and herbs with savory bacon and Italian sausage.

For a fresh batch of minestrone at home, you can start with our recipe below. Feel free to add more veggies, or leave out the bacon and sausage to go vegetarian. To make it even more special, add a small dollop of basil pesto before serving. All it needs is a crisp salad and some warm focaccia or a crunchy baguette to make a memorable meal.

Ciao,
Susie B.

PASTINI’S MINESTRONE SOUP WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 slices bacon, cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 2/3 LB. bulk Italian sausage (mild or hot)
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery (two stalks)
• 1 cup diced carrots (two medium carrots)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh basil
• 1 TBSP chopped fresh oregano
• 1 TSP chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 potato, peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes
• 1 small zucchini cut in half lengthwise and then cut into ¼ inch pieces
• ¼ LB fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 quarts vegetable or beef stock (reduce to 1 ½ qts. if you prefer a less brothy soup)
• 1 – 15 ounce can red kidney beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed with water
• 1 – 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• I cup dried penne, fusilli, or other short pasta shape
• 1 tsp. salt
• Few grinds of black pepper
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat
2. Add bacon and cook until just beginning to brown
3. Add sausage, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook until vegetables are soft…10 minutes. Break up sausage as vegetables are cooking.
4. Add fresh herbs, bay leaf, stock, crushed tomatoes, beans, salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a small boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
7. Add potato, green beans, and zucchini. Cook for 20 minutes. Do not overcook.
8. Add cooked pasta and heat for 2 minutes.
9. Season with more salt if necessary.
10. Serve in bowls. Pass parmesan cheese for garnish.

Note: This soup can be made vegetarian if desired by omitting the bacon and sausage. Feel free to add more vegetables if desired.