SOUTHERN MINESTRONE

Makes 6 servings

Minestrone is a hearty vegetable soup typical of Italian country cooking that contains pasta, such as macaroni, and sometimes peas or beans. This light version uses vegetable stock and is fairly quick cooking, but intensely flavorful.

This one is southern country cooking because of the green beans, yellow squash, zucchini squash, and fresh herbs—often overflowing in summer southern gardens. Free yourself from recipes by understanding how to improvise your own minestrones, depending on what is fresh and available. Country cooks do this all the time; it’s the heart of day-to-day home cooking.

2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable stock

¾ cup elbow macaroni

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup sliced green beans

1 cup chopped yellow squash

1 cup chopped zucchini squash

1 cup peas, not thawed if frozen

½ cup chopped fresh basil

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• Bring the stock to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Add the elbow macaroni. Reduce the heat and simmer until the macaroni is just starting to become tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green beans, and yellow and zucchini squash and stir to combine. Simmer until the macaroni is al dente, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and simmer until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the basil. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the soup with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve immediately.