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Hearty minestrone (prodigy)

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb Dried beans Salt
• 1 Celery stalk
• 1/4 lb Savoy cabbage
• 2 sm Boiling potatoes
• 1/4 c Drained canned plum tomatoes
• 2 1/2 tb Chopped onion
• 2 Basil leaves
• 1/4 ts Dried thyme
• 2 tb Olive oil Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 oz Imported Italian pasta

Instructions:

THE NIGHT BEFORE pick over the beans rinse them and let them soak in a large bowl of cold water. Next day drain the beans put them into a large pot and cover with 4 cups water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt bring to the boil and simmer covered for 1-to-1 1/2 hours until the beans are nearly tender. Wash and cut into bite-size pieces the celery cabbage and potato. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Chop the onion basil and thyme together. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and soften the onion mixture in it for 5 minutes. Add the celery cabbage potato tomato 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grindings of black pepper. Toss everything to coat it with the oil then add 1/3 cup warm water. Cover and cook gently 20 minutes until the vegetables are almost tender. When the beans are ready scoop out about a quarter of them and puree them through a food mill back into the pot. Add the vegetables from the saute pan and all their juices. Bring the soup to a boil and stir in the pasta. Cook until the pasta is done 10 to 12 minutes. Taste for seasoning. TOM MARESCA AND DIANE DARROW - PRODIGY GUEST CHEFS COOKBOOK

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