Ditalini Minestrone Soup Recipe (with pesto)
Ditalini Minestrone Soup - a delicious and flavorful minestrone soup recipe that is packed with flavor and makes amazing leftovers!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 ounces pancetta chopped
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups carrots diced
- 1 ½ cups celery sliced
- 1 russet potato diced
- 1 cup green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 4-5 cups chicken broth vegetable broth works
- 15 ounces canned cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- parmesan rind optional (if you have one)*
- 1-2 handfuls fresh spinach
- kosher salt to taste
- 4 cups ditalini pasta cooked al dente**
Serving Suggestions:
- pesto
- parmesan cheese shaved
- crusty bread
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a large Dutch oven to medium-high heat (I used a 5.5qt). Add 1 tablespoon butter and let melt, swirl to coat the pan. Add 4 ounces pancetta and move around pan until the fat renders, approx. 2-5 minutes. Add 1 small yellow onion (diced) and 1 tablespoon garlic to pan, saute for 2-3 minutes or until garlic becomes fragrant and onion softens a bit. Season lightly with a little salt and pepper.
- Combine + Simmer: Add carrots, celery and potatoes - move those around the pan and let cook 4-5 minutes. Add green beans, 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes, 4-5 cups chicken broth, 15 ounces canned cannellini beans, ¼ cup white wine, 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon basil pesto, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and parmesan rind. Stir to combine. Cover and let simmer 15-20 minutes. Uncover and add in 1-2 handfuls fresh spinach, stir to combine as they wilt.
- Adjust: Taste and add any salt (I added 1/4 teaspoon), pepper or other seasoning - as desired.
- Serve: Enjoy over some ditalini pasta (cooked al dente), extra basil pesto, shaved parmesan cheese and some easy grilled bread!
Notes
- *Parmesan Rind: don't fret about this one if you don't happen to have a parmesan rind laying around - if you have one - great! If not, recipe will still turn out, but you might need a to add a bit more salt.
- **Ditalini Pasta: you can also use elbows, small shells or even a farfalle if you want - I would just choose a smaller pasta. Also, we recommend cooking the pasta separate and serving the soup over the noodles. If you cook the pasta in the soup it will soak up a lot of the liquid.
- *** Salt: as written, I only added an additional 1/4 teaspoon salt, but if you omit the parmesan rind you will need to add a bit more and if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth you will also need to add a bit more - so just be sure and taste and adjust as you go!
- Pesto: We have a fresh basil pesto recipe on the site as well as a dairy free pesto recipe.
- Gluten-Free: to make this gluten-free use a gluten-free pasta and serve with gluten-free bread.
- Dairy-Free: to make this dairy-free use a plant-based butter, a dairy-free pesto and omit the parmesan cheese.
- Storage: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days - store pasta and soup separate so pasta doesn't get mushy and soak up all the liquid.
Nutrition
Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 588mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3885IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @thewoodenskillet on Instagram!
