Minestrone with pasta

This is a great way to use up the "badly cut pasta scraps" (maltagliati) that invariably accumulate after a batch of pasta is rolled. Gather, store & freeze until you're ready to make a batch of soup.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 medium onion chopped

2 sticks celery chopped

3 medium carrots peeled & sliced

1 clove garlic minced

1-2 potatoes chopped

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

4 cups broth of choice

1 small zucchini chopped

1 cup fresh green beans chopped

1 (14 ounce) can red kidney beans drained

1 (14 ounce) can white kidney (cannellini) beans drained

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or 1-2 tbsp fresh herbs like basil

3/4 cup uncooked pasta scraps

Salt & pepper to taste

Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Directions

• Add the oil, butter, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to a large soup pot. Sauté for 7-10 minutes.
  

• Stir in the crushed tomatoes, broth, zucchini, green beans, red kidney beans, white kidney beans, and Italian seasoning. Increase the heat to high, and bring it to a boil.
  

• Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat so it's simmering and cover the pot with the lid slightly open and cook for 20 minutes.
  

• Stir in the pasta. Continue simmering the soup (I leave the lid off) for another 5-8 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir occasionally to stop the pasta from sticking to the bottom.
  

• Before serving, season to taste with salt & pepper (I am generous with both), stir in the basil (if using), and serve each bowl with some parmesan cheese grated/shaved over top. This minestrone is fairly thick. If you find it too thick, add a splash more broth to thin it out (especially leftovers).