A One-Pot French-Italian Spectacular
We’re Fanny and Greta, dear friends with deep backgrounds in sustainable food. This is a space for the food lovers, home cooks, would-be home cooks and anyone who needs a bit of inspiration and gentle guidance in their family kitchen.
Santa Anna•
May 27, 2025
Okay, We know the ingredient list looks long, but there are a bunch that are optional and absolutely everything is run of the mill—nothing you can’t find readily at your local market. And, while the method does require a bit of stove-tending, it’s neither challenging nor intensive. You just need to chop a handful of veggies and then check in on the pot from time to time.
Add onion (1 large), carrot (1–2), celery (1 stalk), squash (1 large), potato (2), leek (1) (if using), thyme (5 sprigs) and bay leaves (2) to a large pot along with the olive oil (¼ cup), and sweat the mixture over medium high heat, stirring regularly, until it begins to soften—about 12 minutes.
Add the sliced garlic (6 cloves) and stir until fragrant—another 2 minutes.
Add the stock (32 oz) and water (30 oz) to the pot and cook, covered, at a strong simmer for about 30 minutes.
While the soup cooks, boil a pot of salted water and cook your pasta (1 cup) according to package instructions.
When done, strain and toss in a little olive oil to prevent the pasta from clumping.
You can also add the pasta directly to the soup along with the green beans in the next step, but be forewarned that the pasta will become absolute mush the next day! Cook the pasta separately if you intend to eat the soup over the course of a few days
Once the carrots and squash pierce easily with the poke of a fork or paring knife, add the green beans (1 handful), zucchini (2), and beans (2 15-oz cans) and cook another 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender but not mushy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the green beans and zucchini cook, you can add a bit of lemon zest and juice to the pesto along with a couple tablespoons of extra Parm to gussy it up and make it taste a bit brighter
To serve, add a ¼–½ cup of cooked pasta to each bowl and ladle the soup overtop. Add a big dollop of pesto, swirl it in, and serve promptly.
Soup keeps brilliantly in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, so the recipe is scaled up to provide for leftovers. You can easily halve it to make a smaller batch.
If you are inclined to make your own “pistou” instead of buying it, a fresh batch comes together in a food processor in mere minutes.
