Name: Pesto minestrone with asparagus, broad beans and tomatoes
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 1 bay leaf; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 40 g sun-dried tomatoes; 1.3 litres chicken stock (see Tip); 100 g dried cannellini beans, soaked in water for 24 hours; 1 garlic clove; 2 bunches fresh basil; ½ carrot; 100 ml olive oil; 30 g Parmesan, grated; 80 g green beans, cut into 1 cm pieces; ½ onion; a sprig of fresh thyme; 30 g pine nuts; 80 g fresh peas; 80 g fresh broad beans; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 4 asparagus spears, cut into 1 cm pieces; 50 g spaghetti, broken into short pieces; 50 ml olive oil; 1 rasher streaky bacon

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Simple to Sensational

By Jun Tanaka

Published 2010

About

This is a spring minestrone bursting with vibrant colours and flavours. It has to be cooked then served immediately, otherwise you will lose the vivid green colour. If you’re making this for family, friends, or a dinner party, have the cannellini beans cooked and ready, the pesto made and vegetables prepared. Then it’s just a simple matter of cooking the vegetables and adding the pesto at the last minute.