Minestrone

It’s up to you whether or not you want to cut the carrots and green beans into smaller pieces. The cooking time will be sufficient to cook them either way, but chopping them into smaller pieces makes them match the size of the other vegetables in this minestrone. If you’re using frozen green beans, however, remember to thaw them first.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cups water
• 2 medium zucchini, peeled and diced
• 1 cup baby carrots, chopped
• 1 cup green beans, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
• ¾ cup celery, diced
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
• ¼ cup uncooked macaroni
• 4 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese

Add all ingredients except the cheese to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours or until the macaroni is cooked el dente. Ladle the minestrone into bowls and sprinkle each serving with teaspoon of the cheese, or more to taste.

Or, if you prefer…

Minestrone is the perfect way to use leftover vegetables, so feel free to substitute peas, corn, or whatever else is on hand. Add some basil or Italian seasoning if that suits your tastes, or use vegetable broth instead of water for even more flavor. You can even Americanize the recipe by using kidney beans and make it even more healthful by using whole wheat macaroni.