Minestrone With Parmigiano-reggiano

Total Time: 9 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion
• 1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
• 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can plum tomatoes, with their juice
• 1/4 cup dry wine
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 (15 ounce) can small beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 head escarole or 1 head savoy cabbage, cut into small pieces
• 8 ounces green beans, ends snipped, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese, rind cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2-1 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for garnishing
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 8 ounces cooked small shell pasta (shells, or ditalini)

Recipe

• 1 heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat; add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary; saute until the vegetables begin to soften, 4-5 minutes.
• 2 add in the tomatoes and wine; allow some of the liquid to evaporate from the pan.
• 3 transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5-7 quart slow cooker; add in the zucchini, beans, cabbage, green beans, cauliflower, parmigiano-reggiano rind, broth, salt, and pepper.
• 4 cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
• 5 stir in the cooked pasta at the end of the cooking time; cover, and set on warm until ready to serve.
• 6 serve the soup garnished with the grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.