Genoese Minestrone With Pesto

Total Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/3 cup dried borlotti beans (red)
• 1/3 cup dried cannellini beans
• 2 zucchini, trimmed and diced
• 2 eggplants, trimmed and diced
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 bunch celery, trimmed and diced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 5 ounces pasta, broken-up spaghetti or 5 ounces shell pasta or 5 ounces anolini pasta or 5 ounces macaroni or 5 ounces penne
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto (such as buitoni)

Recipe

• 1 soak the borlotti and cannellini beans for 12 hours in cold water to cover. combine all the vegetables with the oil and salt in a large saucepan. add cold water to cover. bring to a boil, cover; reduce heat to moderately low, and cook for about 1 hour, until the beans are tender.
• 2 add the pasta, turn up the heat and cook until the pasta is al dente. turn off the heat, add the pesto and stir at once with a wooden spoon. serve immediately.