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Home » Italy's Regions » Liguria » Minestrone with Pesto Genovese

January 31, 2021

Minestrone with Pesto Genovese

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Minestrone with pesto Genovese Recipe from Liguria.

Minestrone with pesto Genovese Recipe from Liguria.

Minestrone is probably the most well-known of Italian soups. However, there isn’t actually one traditional recipe for it. In fact, there are many. It really depends on where in Italy this soup is made and on the available seasonal vegetables at the time. This recipe for minestrone with pesto from Liguria in North West Italy is one of my favourites. Not only is it packed with fresh seasonal veggies, but the addition of the local basil pesto really makes it uniquely flavourful.

minestrone with pesto Genovese

Minestrone con pesto alla Genovese.

What makes this minestrone from Liguria so unique is the addition of pesto Genovese. In other words, basil pesto. Basil pesto is practically a culinary staple in Liguria. In more or less its present form, it has been made there since the 1800s. However, food historians say that it probably developed from an ancient Roman sauce called ‘moretum’ and a Medieval crushed garlic and walnuts sauce called ‘agliata’.

The Ligurians use basil pesto in many dishes, particularly with pasta. They even have an official recipe published by the Genova Chamber of Commerce. The official recipe has 7 ingredients; Ligurian basil leaves, Mediterranean pine-nuts, Vessalico garlic cloves, Ligurian extra virgin olive oil, coarse sea salt and two types of cheese, aged Parmigiano and Pecorino from Sardinia. 

Of course, most of us have to use locally sourced basil leaves, nuts, garlic and olive oil. It may also not be possible to find both cheeses. In fact, I often make basil pesto with just Parmigiano (but don’t tell anyone from Genova!).

What exactly is minestrone?

Minestrone is a soup with pretty antique origins. Even the Ancient Romans made a version with onions, garlic, carrots, asparagus, lentils and mushrooms plus, whatever else they could find at the time. They just boiled all the ingredients in water.

Over time, other ingredients have been added to minestrone in Italy. Tomatoes and beans only arrived in Europe after the discovery of the Americas in the 15th century. So, these are relatively more recent additions.

ingredients for minestrone with pesto Genovese
Step 1 Gather your ingredients.

But, traditionally, minestrone is a seasonal vegetable soup which normally has some thickening plant-based ingredients such as squash, potatoes or legumes, plus, a variety of veggies cut into pieces and rice, pasta or grains.

Ingredients in minestrone with pesto Genovese.

Ligurian minestrone with basil pesto has lots of veggies in it. However, some of those traditionally depend on the season. All versions of this recipe have beans, usually borlotti or cannellini, as well as some type of pasta. In summer, you are more likely to find it made with tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, fava beans, sometimes eggplant and freshly made basil pesto. Some people add peas and borrage is popular, as is chard.

cleaned, chopped and sliced vegetables for minestrone on oval plate
Step 2 Prepare all your veggies.

In winter, this vegetable soup often has squash or pumpkin, cabbages, kale, leeks, potatoes, celery, and carrots. These are the veggies I used along with zucchini. However, nowadays, many vegetables are available year-round. So, it’s actually possible to make this Ligurian minestrone with your favourite veg whenever you want! And many people do!

sliced leeks cooking in olive oil in large soup pot.
Step 3 Sauté the sliced leeks in olive oil in a large soup pot!

One ingredient I can’t always find all year is fresh basil. So, for this version of minestrone with pesto, I used a ready-made pesto from a company called Girolomoni. This is actually one of my favourite pasta makers but they also produce other traditional Italian foods. You can read more about this company in my post about my visit to them. When making pesto particularly for this minestrone, Ligurians don’t include pine nuts.

The beans

In Liguria, they often use local bean types called ‘grixi’ and ‘balin’ for minestrone alla Genovese. But, most recipes call for borlotti (cranberry beans). However, if you can’t find those, cannellini are fine too.

All the prepared minestrone vegetables in large soup pot
Step 4. Add all the other vegetables to the pot.

Traditionally the beans are fresh ones or dried ones which have been soaked overnight. But, of course, you can use canned beans instead. The difference between dried and canned is that you won’t have the nutritious bean cooking water to add to the soup.

Minestrone vegetables cooking in water in large soup pot.
Step 5 Mix all the veggies and add water and salt. Cook for 30 minutes.

Some recipes actually use the bean cooking water as the base for the soup. In other words, the veggies are added to the beans once the latter are half cooked. I cooked the beans separately and added them with some of their cooking water to the soup, once the veggies had cooked a while.

The pasta.

I used broken spaghetti for my minestrone with pesto. This is the most traditional way. Although, pasta shapes such as ditalini or other soup pastas (pastina) are popular too. Rice can also be used instead if you like it better. Or you can leave the pasta out altogether if you’re on a low carb diet or just prefer it that way.

Step 6 Add the beans and some of the bean cooking water (if you used dried beans). Cook for another 30 minutes.

Making Ligurian minestrone alla Genovese.

Unlike other minestrone recipes, Ligurian minestrone doesn’t usually have a soffritto as a base (finely chopped onions, celery and carrots sautéed in olive oil). In some versions, all the veggies are just cooked together. I followed a recipe that involved just sautéeing the leeks and then I added all the other ingredients.

Step 7 Add broken spaghetti or other pasta and cook until pasta is ready. (I changed pots to do this!)

If you’re not vegetarian a delicious addition to minestrone is to add a parmigiano rind to the soup. This really adds a lovely flavour. But since parmigiano is made with animal rennet, it’s not suitable for vegetarians. The same goes for traditional pesto as it has parmigiano or pecorino in it. However, there are versions with vegetarian cheese and you can make it without cheese too.

Minestrone with pesto Genovese Recipe from Liguria.
Step 8 Serve with pesto and grated Parmigiano (if required).

Let me know what you think.

Whichever combination of veggies you use to make this recipe, I’m sure minestrone with pesto is going to become a favourite for you too! It’s uniquely delicious, nutritious, warming and filling. Pure comfort food!

If you do try this Ligurian minestrone, I’d love to hear what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.

Your feedback means a lot to me!

Buon Appetito!

Other soup with pasta recipes.

  1. Tuscan minestrone with orzo pasta
  2. Pasta with beans soup (pasta e fagioli)
  3. Romanesco broccoli and pasta soup
  4. Canederli in broth

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Minestrone with pesto Genovese Recipe from Liguria.
minestrone with pesto Genovese

Minestrone with pesto Genovese (basil pesto)

Jacqueline De Bono
A delicious and nutritious Italian minestrone served with basil pesto.
5 from 17 votes
Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Italian, Liguria, Mediterranean, Northern Italy
Servings 4
Calories 578 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 150 g spaghetti (5-6oz) or other soup pasta
  • 200 g borlotti beans (cranberry beans) (7oz) canned or dried and cooked. Fresh borlotti can be used when in season (see notes)
  • 1 leek large. Cleaned and sliced
  • 2 potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
  • 2-3 carrots washed and cut into cubes
  • 1/2 squash I used a small butternut squash
  • 2-3 zucchini washed and cubed
  • 1-2 celery stalks washed and cubed
  • 1/2 wild cabbage (type of kale) or savoy cabbage ( cleaned and sliced)
  • 1/2 red cabbage (cleaned and sliced) or greens like chard, spinach
  • 2-3 tbsp basil pesto homemade or ready-made (if homemade leave out pine-nuts)
  • 1 piece Parmigiano rind (optional)
  • Parmigiano Reggiano grated (optional) for serving
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper. to taste

Instructions
 

Prepare the ingredients.

  • If using dried beans soak overnight and then rinse and cook in lightly salted water for about 40 minutes. Save 2 cups of the cooking water and drain.
  • Peel the potatoes, peel and remove the seeds from the squash, remove the outer leaves from the cabbages. Wash/clean all the other veggies and then cut potatoes, squash, carrots, celery and zucchini into cubes and slice leeks and cabbages and greens.

Cook the minestrone.

  • Sauté the sliced leeks in the olive oil for a couple of minutes. Then add all the other vegetables. Mix and add a salt to taste and enough water to just cover the veggies. Simmer on a low-medium heat for about 30 minutes.
  • Add the cooked beans with 1-2 cups of the bean cooking water (or drained canned beans) and the parmigiano rind (if using). Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Use a fork to mash (puree) some of the potatoes and beans in the pot. Add the pasta and continue cooking until it’s al dente. If your soup seems dry, pour in some hot water.

Serve your minestrone.

  • When the soup is ready, remove from the heat and add the pesto. Mix gently and serve. You can also add the pesto to each serving once it is plated. (I like to do this).
  • This minestrone with pesto can also be served tepid and tastes even better the next day. However, the pasta will absorb more liquid so you may want to add some water when reheating leftovers.

Notes

You can use broken spaghetti or small tubes like ditalini as well as other soup pasta (pastina). Rice can also be used instead if you like it better. Or you can leave the pasta out altogether if you’re on a low carb diet or just prefer it that way.
I actually set half my minestrone aside before adding the pasta. I prefer to add the pasta just before serving. This minestrone tastes even better the next day but the pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid. You can either just add some water when reheating leftovers or set aside some soup before adding pasta as I did.
If you use fresh borlotti, just add them in with the rest of the veggies.
If you want to make homemade pesto check out this pesto pasta recipe for instructions.
Keyword basil pesto, Minestrone, pasta soup

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Minestrone with pesto Genovese Recipe from Liguria.

If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of my newly published autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!?

Filed Under: Liguria, Pasta Salads and in Soups, Spaghetti Tagged With: Liguria, minestrone, pesto, soup pasta

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ramona says

    February 07, 2021 at 10:42 pm

    This recipe looks super interesting and I am definitely planning on trying this out soon! thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to make it.

    Reply
  2. Alex says

    February 07, 2021 at 9:43 pm

    Ooh, I’d never heard of wild cabbage! I’m off to check that out. But I first wanted to say how wonderful this looks. Perfect for this chilly weather!

    Reply
  3. Erin says

    February 07, 2021 at 8:41 pm

    Minestrone soup is one type I’ve never had. I’m not a big soup person but this sounds delicious! And I’ll definitely take mine with the rind added. I love the flavor it adds!

    Reply
  4. Uma Srinivas says

    February 07, 2021 at 8:19 pm

    I love all the vegetables and spices you have added here to the Pasta! I love making minestrone for parties and for potluck. next time I will try your recipe.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      April 02, 2021 at 1:06 am

      This is a lovely recipe. I cooked it last night. I had lots of late basil to use up, so this was a perfect opportunity to make some pesto – the addition of homemade pesto really elevates this soup. I definitely recommend the addition of the Parmesan rind when cooking as it imparts so much flavour. Many thanks for sharing a beautiful dish.

      Reply
      • Jacqui says

        April 02, 2021 at 8:21 am

        Thanks for your comment Kate. I’m glad you liked this minestrone recipe. I agree the pesto and the parmigiano rind really elevate the flavours in this soup! We love it too!

        Reply
  5. FOODHEAL says

    February 06, 2021 at 8:31 am

    When we think of pasta, sometimes we might just have pasta and cheese in mind! This recipe has a lot of veggies that make it healthy and I can imagine all the flavors.

    Reply
  6. Amy Liu Dong says

    February 05, 2021 at 7:46 pm

    Wow! Such a truly great pasta recipe, you really know your way with pasta. Every recipe with it is like a masterpiece, from this instance looks so delicious and yummy.

    Reply
  7. Ashraf qureshi says

    February 05, 2021 at 11:26 am

    Awesome Site..!!

    Reply
  8. Barbara says

    February 05, 2021 at 12:52 am

    Just FYI. Among the ingredients listed is wild kale. In the U.S. it is usually called lacinato or dinosaur kale. It has become quite popular and easy to find.

    The minestroni is delicious!

    Reply
    • Jacqui says

      February 05, 2021 at 9:14 am

      Hi Barbara, thank you for your comment. I’m happy you liked this minestrone. I think it’s delicious too. Thank you also for the info about the kale. I’ll add it to the ingredients list.

      Reply
  9. Amy says

    February 04, 2021 at 12:35 am

    I love a good minestrone and a good basil pesto. Never thought to ever combine the 2 together! Love all the delicious ingredients you’ve used. A soup I can definitely have all year round!

    Reply
  10. Heather Perine says

    February 03, 2021 at 7:21 pm

    I love a big bowl of minestrone soup in winter, but have never thought to add basil pesto to it! I bet it gives it wonderful flavors! Can’t wait to try.

    Reply
  11. The Cooking Code says

    February 03, 2021 at 9:40 am

    I LOVE how many vegetables this pasta dish uses! Pesto is also my favorite, so everything about this dish looks fantastic to me. I can’t wait to give this one a try!

    Reply
  12. LaRena Fry says

    February 03, 2021 at 7:28 am

    Love classic recipes. Minestrone is such a wonderful comfort food. I love that you added pesto to it.

    Reply
  13. Beth says

    February 02, 2021 at 10:16 pm

    This minestrone looks so flavorful and hearty, and cranberry beans sound great in it. I love pesto in anything so that is fun to look forward to. I have just set up a grow light indoors so I hopefully can grow basil fresh year-round in Colorado.

    Reply
  14. Sharon says

    February 02, 2021 at 8:46 pm

    This minestrone is so full of good for you vegetables and has lots of flavors. The pesto is the perfect topping!

    Reply
  15. Nisha says

    February 02, 2021 at 6:12 pm

    Love the colorful variety of veggies in the minestrone looks so hearty and delicious!

    Reply
  16. Angela says

    February 02, 2021 at 5:59 am

    I love this version of minestrone. Very filling and the vegetables are wonderful.

    Reply
  17. Jere Cassidy says

    February 02, 2021 at 5:26 am

    I love all the colors and veggies you have added to this soup. I like the added pasta at the end.

    Reply
  18. Deborah says

    February 02, 2021 at 4:57 am

    I always enjoy reading your recipes and the history on them. So interesting! We love making minestrone for our church potluck dinners. I’m intrigued by your addition of basil pesto and Parmigiano rind and am going to have to try those additions! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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Buon giorno and welcome to my pasta project! My name is Jacqui. I’m originally a Londoner but in 2003 life’s journey brought me to the beautiful Veneto region of Italy where… Read More

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