End of Summer Minestrone by Florence Blair
Radiatori

End of Summer Minestrone by Florence Blair

Florence Blair's late-summer minestrone, built on a slow soffritto with a parmesan rind in the pot. Fifty grams of radiatori per person, cooked separately and stirred in.

Alannah Wiseman

Feeds: 6
45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 50g radiatori per portion
  • 5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for serving

  • 2 onions

  • 4 sticks of celery, plus the leaves if possible

  • 4 garlic cloves

  • 400g cherry tomatoes

  • 2x 400g tins (or 1x 600g jar) of borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 litre good quality vegetable stock

  • A parmesan rind (optional)

  • 200g cavolo nero

  • Bunch of basil, about 30g

Radiatori

Radiatori

From: £4.95

Method

1

Finely chop the onions and celery and thinly slice the garlic.

2

Heat 5 tbsp olive oil in a large pot, once warm add the onions, celery, a good pinch of salt and lots of coarsely ground black pepper. Cook for 15 minutes over a medium-low heat until soft.

3

Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring every so often, until the tomato skins are beginning to split and a few of the tomatoes are starting to give out their juices.

4

Add the beans, stock and parmesan rind. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, in which time the ingredients in the pot can get to know one another and you can roughly slice the cavolo nero.

5

Add the cavolo nero and cook for 5 minutes until wilted and tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. This is your base, pop a portion or two (or more) in the fridge to reheat throughout the week, or freeze for a rainy day.

6

Cook a generous handful of pasta per person (about 50g) in salted water until al dente, drain then stir through the (reheated) minestrone base with a large handful of basil leaves. Serve with extra basil, celery leaves and a good drizzle of your favourite olive oil.

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