Minestrone Monastico

"At appointed times monks ought to be occupied with holy reading. Each monk shall receive a book from the library, which he should read from cover to cover. These books should be handed out at the beginning of Lent."

~from the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict

Tonight's meal was wonderfult. I did make it hoping for a brothy soup, and forgot about the beans, which thickened it to more of a cassoulet type of texture and flavor.

Also, this is not what I would call a typical minestrone. It was thick and stew like, and lacked tomatoes. I changed a few things- I used vegetable broth instead of water, I was out of wine so I omitted it (I live in a dry village so it's not like it's something I can run out and grab), I used one onion instead of 3 (I don't like onions), and more pasta than it called for.

The result was a thick, saucy, flavorful, and for a vegetarian meal was very filling, satisfying, and even qualifies as comfort food. The boys loved it, although the 2 year old only ate the noodles out of it. My oldest asked if I could make it again tomorrow! I would say ultimately this dish was a win, was inexpensive to make, and will certainly make its way into my regular menu.