No-waste minestrone

Name: No-waste minestrone recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tbs olive oil, plus extra to serve; 1 cup thinly sliced leeks (or other similar vegetable such onion, spring onion or shallot); 150g cured pork (such as bacon, speck, salami, chorizo or pancetta), sliced; 2 garlic, crushed; 2 tbs finely chopped hard herbs (such as sage, rosemary, thyme); ½ cup (125ml) wine (red or white); 2 cups firm mixed vegetables (such as celery, zucchini, fennel, green beans); (such as cannellini, chickpea, lentils or kidney beans), drained and rinsed; 400ml passata (or sugo, or a can of tomato); Parmesan rind (optional); 6 cups (1.5L) vegetable or chicken stock (or water); ¾ cup (135g) small pasta (such as risoni, rigati or rotini); 1000.00 ml mixed salad; Firm cheese, parmesan or other hard cheese, finely grated, to serve; ½ cup finely chopped herbs (such a parsley, basil or oregano)

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by Lucy Busuttil

delicious. on Sunday Food Editor

Jul 05, 2019

It's all about no-waste with maximum taste.

2 tbs olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 cup thinly sliced leeks (or other similar vegetable such onion, spring onion or shallot)
150g cured pork (such as bacon, speck, salami, chorizo or pancetta), sliced
2 garlic, crushed
2 tbs finely chopped hard herbs (such as sage, rosemary, thyme)
½ cup (125ml) wine (red or white)
2 cups firm mixed vegetables (such as celery, zucchini, fennel, green beans)
(such as cannellini, chickpea, lentils or kidney beans), drained and rinsed
400ml passata (or sugo, or a can of tomato)
Parmesan rind (optional)
6 cups (1.5L) vegetable or chicken stock (or water)
¾ cup (135g) small pasta (such as risoni, rigati or rotini)
4 cups mixed leafy greens (such as silverbeet, kale, spinach, rainbow chard), roughly shredded
Firm cheese, parmesan or other hard cheese, finely grated, to serve
½ cup finely chopped herbs (such a parsley, basil or oregano)

Method

1.

Heat oil in a large heavy based saucepan. Add leeks, cured pork, garlic and hard herbs, and cook for 5 minutes or until leeks are soft.
2.

Add wine and boil for 3 minutes or until reduced by half. Add mixed vegetables, legumes, passata, parmesan rind, if using, and stock. Season.
3.

Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, to allow flavours to develop.
4.

Add pasta and cook for a further 8 minutes or until just cooked, stirring regularly.
5.

In the final 2 minutes of cooking add leafy greens, stirring to combine. Season and discard parmesan rind.
6.

Divide minestrone among serving bowls, scatter with parmesan and chopped soft herbs. Drizzle with extra oil and serve with crusty bread.