Minestra with pasta, potatoes and rosemary and Pinot Blanc 🍷
This minestra (Italian soup usually made with vegetables, pasta or grains) has the real taste of my childhood. When I was a child my mum was always very busy with her work and, at the same time, looking after the house and three children. So she used to make for us very simple meals you can cook in a few minutes, and ‘Pasta patate e rosmarino’ was one of our favourites, and still is. We all love it, me, my husband, my children, and since is very simple and quick to make, it’s a perfect choice for a healthy family dinner after a busy day.
INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
- 240 g pasta for “minestra” (I have used “chifferi rigati“, but also “ditalini” and “pasta mista” are excellent choices, you can even use broken spaghetti)
- 320 g potatoes
- 2 litres vegetable stock
- 6 tbsp tomato passata
- 3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped plus few springs
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- 4 tbsp parmesan or pecorino
Warm some olive oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat, then add the chopped rosemary and the potatoes, cut into cubes, and fry, stirring so each cube is coated with oil for about 1 minute. Add the stock, the tomato passata and salt, bring to a lively simmer and then reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked so you can break them up slightly with a wooden spoon.
Add the pasta, raise the heat slightly and cook until the pasta is cooked. Taste for salt and grind over some black pepper if you like. Serve with some grated pecorino or parmesan stirred in, a splash of olive oil and a spring of rosemary. Simple, healthy, delicious!
🍷AGNESE RECOMMENDS: Pinot Blanc from Alto Adige
Potatoes have a certain amount of sweetness, so the best combination is a young white wine, not too soft but fresh in acidity. My choice is a Pinot Blanc, a quite popular wine, produced in different areas in Italy and in other countries, even if, from place to place, the quality and the taste can be quite different. I’d definitely recommend a Pinot Blanc from Alto Adige region. With its typical scent of bread crust, it will be the perfect pair for this dish!