ROASTED VEGETABLE AND PESTO MINESTRONE

ROASTED VEGETABLE AND PESTO MINESTRONE image

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 14

4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 turnip, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small beets, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cups baby kale leaves (or any kale, roughly chopped)
6 large sage leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup lightly toasted almonds
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup pasta shells
1 (14.5 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the chopped vegetables with 1 Tbs. oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, until soft on the inside and gorgeous on the outside. Set aside. While the veggies are roasting, make the pesto. In a food processor, add the kale, sage, garlic, cheese, toasted almonds, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to get her going. With the motor on, add the remaining oil in a thin stream, until pesto-fied. In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the pasta and cook about 5 minutes. Add the beans and a good dollop of the pesto. I think I added around 2 Tbs. (You may have leftover pesto. Save it to swirl into your morning eggs or to spread on toast!) Boil a couple more minutes until the pasta is al dente. Now, you can either do this two ways. You can add the roasted veggies to the soup before you serve, OR you can ladle the soup into bowls, then top with the roasted veggies. Finish with one more nice dollop of pesto on top of the veggies in the soup. Dive into the mess headfirst. *something to know! once you stir the veggies into the soup, the beets will turn the soup a nice purple color. It's like, far out, man.*