Italian Tuscan Minestrone with Pappardelle

Name: Italian Tuscan Minestrone with Pappardelle
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tuscan
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons (45 ml) Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (225 g) Yellow onion, diced; 2 stalks (85 g) Celery stalks, diced; 2 medium (170 g) Carrots, diced; 4 cloves (15 g) Garlic cloves, minced; 28 oz (800 g) Crushed tomatoes, canned with juice; 4 cups (960 ml) Vegetable broth; 15 oz (425 g) Cannellini beans, canned, drained and rinsed; 1 whole (140 g) Medium zucchini, diced into ½-inch pieces; 4 oz (113 g) Fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths; 2 cups (60 g) Fresh spinach, packed, roughly torn; 4 oz (113 g) Dried pappardelle pasta, broken into 2–3 inch pieces; ¼ cup (10 g) Fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped; Kosher salt; Black pepper, freshly ground; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) Red pepper flakes (optional); Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A rustic, vegetable-rich Italian soup featuring cannellini beans, fresh zucchini, green beans, and spinach simmered in a tomato-based broth, finished with pappardelle pasta and aromatic fresh basil. Hearty enough for a main course, this authentic Tuscan preparation lets each ingredient shine while the flavors meld into something deeply satisfying.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 50 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 10–12 cups)

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Ingredients

4 servings

3 tablespoons (45 ml) Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (225 g) Yellow onion, diced
2 stalks (85 g) Celery stalks, diced
2 medium (170 g) Carrots, diced
4 cloves (15 g) Garlic cloves, minced
28 oz (800 g) Crushed tomatoes, canned with juice
4 cups (960 ml) Vegetable broth
15 oz (425 g) Cannellini beans, canned, drained and rinsed
1 whole (140 g) Medium zucchini, diced into ½-inch pieces
4 oz (113 g) Fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 cups (60 g) Fresh spinach, packed, roughly torn
4 oz (113 g) Dried pappardelle pasta, broken into 2–3 inch pieces
¼ cup (10 g) Fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) Red pepper flakes (optional)
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated, for serving (optional)

Equipment (6)

Large pot or Dutch oven (6–8 quart / 5.5–7.5 liter capacity)
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Wooden spoon or ladle
Can opener
Measuring cups and spoons

Steps

Before you start

Prep all vegetables before you begin cooking—dicing them beforehand keeps the cooking workflow smooth
Have vegetable broth ready (homemade or store-bought)
Measure out and roughly chop the fresh basil so it's ready to add at the very end

1
Sauté the soffritto base
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot—this aromatic base is called soffritto.
- Stir occasionally and cook for 5–6 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are softened and beginning to release their sweetness.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and vegetables are tender, filling the kitchen with a rich vegetable aroma
Tip: Chop all vegetables to similar size so they cook evenly and release flavors at the same rate
2
Cook the garlic
- Add the minced garlic to the pot and stir constantly for about 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant and very lightly golden.
- Do not let it brown.
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Ready when: Garlic is fragrant and very lightly golden
Tip: If garlic browns, it will taste bitter; watch carefully for this crucial 30-second window
3
Add tomatoes and broth
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes (with their juice) and the vegetable broth.
- If using red pepper flakes, add a pinch now.
- Stir well to combine, then increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
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Ready when: Mixture is simmering gently with small bubbles breaking the surface
Tip: Do not add salt yet—it will concentrate and intensify as the soup cooks, and you can adjust at the end
4
Add beans and fresh vegetables
- Drain and rinse the canned beans.
- Add them to the pot along with the diced zucchini and trimmed green beans.
- Stir well to distribute evenly.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Ready when: Zucchini is tender when pierced with a fork and green beans are bright green and cooked through
Tip: Cutting vegetables to similar sizes ensures they finish cooking at the same time
5
Add and cook the pappardelle
- Break the dried pappardelle into 2–3 inch pieces and add them to the simmering soup, stirring well to separate the strands and submerge them.
- Do not add pasta powder or let strands clump together.
- Maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes until the pasta is al dente—tender but still with a slight firmness to the bite.
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Ready when: Pasta is tender but still slightly firm to the bite; the broth has thickened slightly from pasta starch
Tip: Add the pasta in two batches if your pot is crowded, stirring between additions to prevent sticking. Taste a piece after 8 minutes to check doneness
6
Finish with greens and herbs
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Add the torn spinach and the freshly chopped basil, stirring well until the spinach is completely wilted and the basil is fully incorporated.
- Taste the soup and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference.
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Ready when: Spinach is completely wilted and basil color is distributed throughout; soup is seasoned to your taste
Tip: Add basil and spinach after removing from heat to preserve their bright, fresh flavor and vibrant color
7
Serve with garnish
- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Top each serving with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a drizzle of excellent extra-virgin olive oil for an authentic Tuscan finish.

Good to know

Tips

For a thicker, more rustic minestrone, mash about ½ cup of the cooked beans with a fork before adding the zucchini and green beans—this creates a naturally creamy texture without any cream.
Minestrone tastes better the day after you make it, as the flavors have more time to meld and deepen. Make it ahead for an easy weeknight dinner.
If you want to add extra herbs beyond the basil, try a small pinch of fresh thyme or oregano stirred in at the very end, but basil is the authentic Tuscan choice.

Make ahead

You can prepare the soup through the end of step 5 (after the pasta has cooked) and refrigerate for up to 1 day. When ready to serve, gently reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, you can prepare the soup through the end of step 4 (after the beans and vegetables have simmered) and refrigerate for up to 1 day, then proceed with step 5 when reheating to cook fresh pasta and avoid mushiness.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: Not recommended for more than 1 hour. Refrigerator: Up to 3 days in an airtight container. The pasta will continue to soften as it absorbs broth; reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and add a splash of broth or water if the soup becomes too thick. Freezer: Up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently. Note that the pasta will be quite soft when thawed; consider making the recipe without pasta and adding fresh cooked pasta when you reheat.

Substitutions

Cannellini beans → Great Northern beans or chickpeas. Use the same amount (15 oz/425 g drained). Both will give a hearty, creamy texture similar to cannellini beans.
Dried pappardelle pasta → Fusilli, penne, ditalini, or broken spaghetti. Use 4 oz (113 g) of any pasta shape. Smaller shapes like ditalini may cook 1–2 minutes faster; taste at 7 minutes.
Fresh spinach → Kale or Swiss chard. Tear into bite-sized pieces. These take 2–3 minutes longer to wilt, so add them 2 minutes before the spinach would go in.
Vegetable broth → Chicken broth or water. Use the same amount (4 cups / 960 ml). Chicken broth adds deeper, more savory flavor; water lets the vegetables shine.