MEATBALL MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Meatball minestrone with pesto image

Combine meatballs with minestrone soup to make this easy, filling one pot. It takes just 25 minutes from prep to plate so makes an ideal midweek meal

Provided by Anna Glover

Categories Dinner

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
12 beef meatballs
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1⁄2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
100g pasta shapes or rice
800ml low-salt vegetable or chicken stock
dash of vinegar or pinch of sugar (optional)
4 tbsp pesto
1⁄2 small bunch of basil, leaves picked (optional)

Steps:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the meatballs all over until browned. Remove and set aside on a plate. Add the carrot, celery and onion to the pan, and fry for 10 mins until soft. Stir in the garlic, oregano and bay. Tip in the tomatoes, beans, pasta and stock. Bring to a simmer.
Add the meatballs back to the pan and cook until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through. Season, and add a dash of vinegar or a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, if you like. Ladle into four bowls, then swirl a spoon of pesto into each. Top with the basil to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 450 calories, Fat 19 grams fat, SaturatedFat 5 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 38 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 10 grams sugar, Fiber 8 grams fiber, Protein 28 grams protein, Sodium 1.2 milligram of sodium