My Grandmother's best! Four color pasta, and Mama's secret spices help you create this terrific Italian classic. Serves 8-10.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Contents:  Assorted beans & barley.  Enriched semolina flour, (ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamine mononitrate and riboflavin), spray dried tomato, spinach, and beet powders, water, dehydrated carrots, onion, peas, tomato flakes, celery flakes, bell peppers, parsley & spices.

Mama Marino’s Minestrone Soup

Ingredients to have on hand

1 ½ qts. Cold water

1 qt. chicken stock 9fresh or canned)

2-3 Tbl. virgin olive oil

1 ½ cups (one large) onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup (2 stalks) celery with leaves, chopped

1 ½ cups (2 medium) fresh zucchini, sliced

1 can (28oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed

8 oz. (1 medium) fresh chicken breast

1 to 2 tsp. salt (to your taste)

Mama’s Italian seasoning packet (enclosed)

½ cup dry red wine (mama used a good Chianti)

4 oz. (1 medium bunch) fresh spinach, chopped

½ cup parmesan cheese

Pasta shells (enclosed)

Directions

1)   Sort through and thoroughly wash beans.  Soak beans 4 hours or overnight in water to cover.  With Caruso playing in the background drain the beans and put them in a large soup pot with         1 ½ qt. cold water, and chicken stock.  Cover and bring beans to boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook 45 minutes.

2)   Ten minutes before the beans have completed cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions, garlic, celery and carrots until the onions are soft (4 min.).  Add sautéed ingredients to the cooking beans along with the zucchini, tomatoes (chopped, including all the juice), the chicken breasts, the contents of Mama’s Italian seasoning packet, and salt.  Cover and bring soup back to a boil.  Immediately turn soup down to medium low and cook 1 hour.

3)   Add the wine and simmer covered ½ hour.  Remove the chicken breasts; discard bones, skin and fat, and dice the meat.  Return chicken to soup.  Add the chopped spinach, parmesan cheese and the pasta (enclosed).  Cook 5-10 additional minutes.  Remove from heat and serve.  For best flavor refrigerate overnight.  Heat through and serve the next day.

Vegetarian Version:  Omit chicken breast.  Use 1 qt. vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.

A great Sunday evening dinner.  Serve Mama’s Minestrone with freshly baked loaves of crusty Italian bread, a crisp garden salad, and, of course Italian ice for dessert.  Deliziosa Cena!

Serves 8-10.  Freezes beautifully.  Enjoy!

Contents:  Assorted beans & barley.  Enriched semolina flour, (ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamine mononitrate and riboflavin), spray dried tomato, spinach, and beet powders, water, dehydrated carrots, onion, peas, tomato flakes, celery flakes, bell peppers, parsley & spices.