From "the naked chef", serves 6.
10 large ripe plum tomatoes (or 2 x 400g tins of tomatoes without the juice)
3 medium carrots
2 medium leeks
5 sticks celery
2 red onions
1 cabbage
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
850ml gammon/ham/chicken or veg stock
3 good handfulls fresh basil
170g spaghetti
salt & freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
parmesan cheese, grated.
Will summarise the instructions cos really should be ironing!!!!
Skin, deseed and chop tomatoes.
Peel/scrape carrots, quarter lengthways, chop. Chop/wash leeks. Remove stringy bits from celery, cut in half lengthways and chop. Peel and chop onions. Try to make veg all same size, c 1cm. Wash and roughly chop cabbage.
Put olive oil in pans, sewat the carrots, leeks, celery, onion, garlic and rosemary over a medium heat until just tender (c. 15 mins) Add chopped tomatoes, cook 1 -2 mins. Add stock, bring to boil, simmer 15 mins, skimming if necessary. Add the cabbage, cover the pan, simmer 10 mins, then add ripped up basil and the pasta. Simmer for 5 mins or more. Taste and seson. Servi with good peppery extra virgin olive oil and fresh parmesan.
(P.S. I usually add bacon to my minestrone for extra flavour and as long as I've got tomatoes, cabbage and spaghetti, i don't worry about what else I have/haven't got to add!) Enjoy.