Minestrone

This is the best Minestrone recipe I've tasted - it's from The Perfect Cookbook by David Herbert and is absolutely delicious, especially on a freezing wet Melbourne night like tonight!  I'm serving mine with some mini parmesan toasts and grated parmesan on top of the soup.  Keep an eye on the progress of your pasta once you've added it to the pot - some cooks a lot faster than the allocated 20 minutes.  Lisa x

2 tbsp olive oil
3 rashers bacon or pancetta, chopped
2 brown onions, chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 zucchini, diced
400g can crushed tomatoes
1.5 litres chicken stock
2 cups shredded spinach leaves
120g small pasta shapes, such as orzo
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp chopped flat-leave parsley or basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
freshly grated parmesan, to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat.
Add the bacon or pancetta and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the onion, leek, carrot, celery and garlic.
Cook, stirring, for 7-8 minutes, or until softened.  This gives the mixture its soup flavour.
Add the zucchini and crushed tomatoes to the saucepan.
Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and 2 cups of water.  Bring to the boil.
Skim off any scum, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Add the spinach and pasta.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the cannellini beans and parsley.
Add extra water or stock if there is not enough liquid, but remember, this is a thick soup.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan.
Serves 4-6
The Perfect Cookbook, David Herbert, Page 100.

My pot of minestrone before the spinach & parsley were added