Minestrone with Pasta

  This soup is bright and delicious.  The nicest thing about soup is that you can use what you have that will blend with the recipe.   In my case, I have made this when I didn’t have fresh zucchini and green beans and used Italian Blend frozen vegetables for the carrots, zucchini and green beans – all were in the frozen blend.   This is also good with any kind of beans either added instead of the sausage or in addition to the sausage.  I have used cooked or canned kidney beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans or small lima beans successfully – depending on what I had.           

                           Minestrone with Pasta

  4        ounces  ditalini -- or small shells, dry (1 1/4 cups)

  1        tablespoon  butter (I used olive oil)

     ½    cup  onion -- chopped

     ¼    cup  fresh basil -- or 2 tsp. dried basil

  1        teaspoon  garlic -- finely chopped

  1        pound  Italian sausage -- or chorizo, crumbled

  1        cup  carrots -- sliced, 2 medium

  2        medium  zucchini -- 1/2" slices or cubes

  9        ounces  green beans -- frozen or fresh 

14        ounces  canned tomatoes -- cut up (or a pint of home canned)

  4        cans  beef broth -- or consommé

            Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated

 Cook pasta according to package directions.  Set aside.

In Dutch oven, sauté onion and garlic in butter, add sausage and basil and continue cooking 9-11 minutes, until sausage is browned.  Drain off fat.

Stir in all remaining ingredients except cheese.  Continue cooking until vegetables are crisp tender, 15-20 minutes.

Stir in cooked pasta, heat through, 2-3 minutes.  Sprinkle each serving with fresh Parmesan.

"Land O Lakes Comfort Food"

8 Servings      Yield:  "13 1/3 cups"

Per Serving: 329 Calories; 20g Fat (53.6% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 47mg Cholesterol; 1152mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 3 Fat.