December 27, 2008

Minestrone by Michael Chiarello

One of my FAVORITE channels on cable is the Food Network. Check out Micheal Chiarello and his show Napa Style oh my word he's got great recipes for casual entertaining and every day dining. here's a recipe of his that I happened to come by on a box of reduced sodium chicken broth, enjoy!

Prep time 30 minutes. Start to finish 50 minutes

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 medium cloves garlic-chopped
2 cups finely chopped yellow onion (about 2 small)
1 cup diced celery (about 2 medium stalks)
1 cup diced carrot (about 2 medium)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme leaves
1 15ounce can of kidney beans
1½ cups undrained diced tomatoes
4 cups diced zucchini
1 cup uncooked tube shaped pasta
2 cartons (32 ounce each) reduced sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
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1- in a 6 quart stockpot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic- stir occasionally cook about 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2- stir in rosemary, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, pasta and broth. Heat until boiling, reduce heat.
3- cover, simmer about 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Season with salt and pepper, serve topped with cheese.