Minestrone with tortelloni and pesto
Prep
30 mins
Cook
50 mins
Servings
6
Difficulty
Medium
This is my go to minestrone when I want something deeply satisfying but don't want to spend all day in the kitchen. The beauty of this version is that you can have it on the table in about an hour, and it's incredibly budget friendly since you're probably using vegetables you already have at home. I love that borlotti beans bring so much protein and fibre to every spoonful, making it genuinely nourishing without feeling heavy. The real magic happens when you stir in that homemade walnut and basil pesto at the end, along with tender spinach and ricotta tortelloni. It transforms a humble vegetable soup into something that feels almost restaurant quality, and honestly, it tastes even better the next day.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 3 tbspextra virgin olive oil(plus extra to serve)
- 1onion(finely chopped)
- 3garlic cloves(finely chopped)
- 2carrots(peeled and cut into 1cm dice)
- 2celery(cut into 1cm dice)
- 2fresh bay leaves
- 1courgette(cut into 1cm dice)
- 1large potato(cut into 1cm dice)
- 400 gramscan borlotti beans(drained and rinsed)
- 400 gramscan plum tomatoes
- 1 litre/sfresh vegetable stock
- 1head savoy cabbage(tough stalks discarded, leaves finely shredded)
- 300 gramspack spinach and ricotta tortelloni
- 100 gramspack basil, leaves only
- 20 gramswalnuts(toasted and roughly chopped)
- 1garlic clove(crushed)
- 30 mlsextra virgin olive oil
- 15 gramsvegetarian italian hard cheese(grated)
- 1 tbsplemon juice
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a low heat; add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Soften for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the carrots, celery and bay leaves; cook for 10 minutes. Add the courgette; cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- 2
Add the potato, beans, tomatoes and stock. Break up the tomatoes a little with a wooden spoon. Season, bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes until the potato is tender. Meanwhile, in a small food processor, pulse the pesto ingredients into a smooth sauce.
- 3
When the potato is cooked, add the cabbage with 800ml water, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the pasta; cook for 2-3 minutes, until the cabbage is tender and the pasta cooked. Discard the bay leaves. Season if needed, divide between 6 bowls, then serve straight away with the pesto.
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