Minestrone With Sausage, Cannelloni Beans, Zucchini And Tomatoes Topped With Pesto And Paarmesan

Minestrone With Sausage, Cannelloni Beans, 

Zucchini, And Tomatoes Topped With Pesto

Ingredients:
Serves 8.
1 cup tubetti pasta (also called salad macaroni)
2 T. olive oil, divided
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb. mild pork or turkey Italian sausage, casings removed 2 cups chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced peeled carrots
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
1-14 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed 1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices 4 cups finely diced zucchini
2 cups finely diced russet potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup prepared pesto sauce
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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Directions:

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and toss with 1 T. olive oil and set aside. Cooking the pasta separately allows you to add it to the soup later, after it is reheated so that the pasta doesn’t absorb all the liquid in the soup.

Heat chicken broth to a simmer and keep warm. Heat 1 T. olive in a large pot. Add sausage and crumble and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off all but 2 T. fat from the pan. Add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook until vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rosemary and then the beans, tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes.

Stir in the hot chicken broth; simmer until potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Season generously with pepper and add salt to taste. Just a few minutes before serving add the cooked pasta and warm through, about 2 minutes. Serve topped with a dollop of pesto and a sprinkling of Parmesan.