Serves: 6
Total Calories: 340

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 pound swiss chard or spinach, chopped
3 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 small zucchini, chopped
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces shelled fresh cannellini or borlotti beans or 2 cups drained cooked dried or canned beans
salt and freshly ground black pepper
recipe Pesto (below)
4 ounces small pasta shapes such as tubetti or elbows

PESTO
2 to 3 cloves large garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Pour the oil into a large pot. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the vegetables are tender and golden, about 10 minutes.

2 Stir in the tomatoes, chard, potatoes, zucchini, and beans. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the soup is thickened and the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour. Add a little water if it becomes too thick.

3 Meanwhile, prepare the pesto, if necessary. When the soup has thickened, add the pasta. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve hot, passing a bowl of the pesto, to be added at the table, or ladle the soup into bowls and dollop some pesto in the center of each.

PREPARE THE PESTO
In a food processor, chop the garlic, basil, and parsley until very fine. Add the cheese and gradually drizzle in the olive oil to make a thick paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl.

From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 6
Total Calories: 340
Calories from Fat: 125

More Recipes from the Cook'n in Italy Cookbook:
* Soups
Antonietta’s Bean Soup
Bean and Mushroom Soup
Bread Noodles in Broth
Chicken Broth
Chickpea Soup from Puglia
Chickpea and Pasta Soup
Chunky Fish Soup
Cooked Water Soup
Creamy Bean Soup
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Creamy Fennel Soup
Creamy Mushroom Soup
Egg Crepes in Broth
Egg Soup from Pavia
Escarole and Little Meatballs Soup
Fontina, Bread, and Cabbage Soup
Friulian Barley and Bean Soup
Green Bean and Sausage Soup
Leek, Tomato, and Bread Soup
Lentil and Fennel Soup
Lentil and Greens Soup
Ligurian Chickpea and Porcini Soup
Married Soup
Meat Broth
Milan-Style Pasta and Beans
Mushroom and Potato Soup
Mussels and Clams in Tomato Broth
Pasta and Beans
Pureed Lentil Soup with Croutons
Red Pepper Soup
Roman Egg Drop Soup
Seafood, Pasta, and Bean Soup
Semolina Fritters in Broth
Sicilian Tomato Barley Soup
Spinach, Lentil, and Rice Soup
Tuscan Bread and Vegetable Soup
Tuscan Fish Soup
Tyrolean Bread Dumplings
Vegetable Soup with Pesto
Winter Squash Soup
Zucchini Pesto Soup
Zucchini and Potato Soup
Zucchini and Tomato Soup