Minestrone

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Roberts Butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced ham
6 ounces salt pork
1 cup finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced carrot
1 cup finely diced celery
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup dried shelled peas or 1 can (16 ounce) green peas, drained
1/4 head green cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 quarts (8 cups) boiling water
salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup small elbow macaroni
3 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
6-8 spinach leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preparation

Place butter and oil in a large pan; add the diced ham. Remove fat from salt pork and place in pan; cook over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the diced onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cover and cook slowly about 10 minutes. Mix in peas and cabbage; stir in tomato paste. Add water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper; add macaroni and simmer slowly until all ingredients are tender. Add tomatoes and heat through. Chop spinach leaves and stir into the soup at the last minute with chopped parsley so they are just wilted but not cooked. Serve accompanied with a bowl of grated cheese.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Special note: we no longer distribute eggs or margarine, but have left the recipes as originally printed to maintain their integrity.