Recipe & photography by Izzie Cox.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
For the minestrone
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked
- 4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
- 200g Northern Pasta Co Conchigliette
- 1 Parmesan rind (optional)
- 400g tin of white beans
- 200g asparagus, trimmed
- 100g baby spinach
- 50g peas or broad beans
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the wild garlic pesto
- 150g wild garlic leaves, washed
- 50g grated Parmesan
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 50g pine nuts, toasted
- 150ml olive or rapeseed oil
-
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the minestrone, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and fry for 10 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme leaves and cook for a further couple of minutes. Then add in the vegetable stock and the potatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the conchigliette and Parmesan rind and cook for 5 more minutes. Then add the white beans, asparagus, spinach and peas and cook for a final 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Meanwhile, while the minestrone is cooking, to make the wild garlic pesto - add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse to a chunky pesto.
Mix half of the pesto into the soup, divide between bowls and top with the remaining pesto.
