The Genoese Minestrone is a first course (but also a single dish) from the Genoese tradition. It is known worldwide thanks to sailors who, as early as the 19th century, prepared it on board the fishing boats and sold it to the people on board. The vegetables vary with the season, and every family has its recipe. However, what must never be missing are brichetti (a short stick-shaped pasta that takes its name from matches, called bricchetti in Genoese) or ditali and the pesto which is added at the end off the heat. To fully savor its goodness, the Genoese minestrone should be eaten the next day . . . here’s the recipe:
Recipe from 11/18/2016 updated
Other recipes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Slow cooking, Stove
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 stalk celery
- 2 carrots
- 3.5 oz fresh borlotti beans (weight shelled)
- 2 zucchini
- 1 leek
- 1 tomato (ripe)
- 4 leaves borage
- 1.75 oz green beans
- 2.8 oz pumpkin
- 1.75 oz savoy cabbage
- 2 potatoes
- 7 oz prosciutto crudo (end piece)
- 3.5 oz Parmesan Reggiano PDO (rind)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 tsp fine salt
- 4 tbsp Genoese pesto
- 6 oz spaghetti (broken (brichetti))
Tools
- Food Scale
- Chopping Board
- Pot
- Chopper
Steps
Chop the onion, leek, garlic, 1 carrot, and together with the end piece of prosciutto, sauté with a little oil in a large pot that can hold 2 quarts of water. Wash all the vegetables, dice them, chop the chard and borage, if using fresh beans, shell them (if dried, soak overnight) and add everything to the pot. Pour in 2 quarts of cold water, the salt, and finally add a rind of Parmesan.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the flame, cover, and let cook for 3 hours. Separately cook the pasta, drain it, and add to the minestrone. Remove from heat and stir in the pesto, a drizzle of oil, and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. As I said, the Genoese minestrone is even better if eaten cold the next day.
