There is nothing like a good soup to warm you up on a cold winter's day. One of my favorite soups is minestrone. Minestrone is the name for a variety of thick Italian soups made with vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock and tomatoes.

There is no specific recipe for minestrone. It is usually made out of whatever vegetables are in season. It can be vegetarian, contain meat or contain a meat-based broth.

Minestrone is one of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine and is probably more widely dispersed and eaten throughout Italy than pasta.

Minestrone, like most traditional dishes, was originally a very humble dish and was intended for everyday consumption. It was filling and cheap, and would likely have been the main course of a meal. The minestrone made use of local and seasonal ingredients, the beans and pasta because of the longevity of dried goods.

Minestrone ranges from a thick and dense texture with very boiled-down vegetables to a more brothy soup with large quantities of diced and lightly-cooked vegetables that may include meats. It depends on the region and what's available and in season.

Minestrone was probably not a dish made for its own sake. No one gathered the ingredients with the intention of making minestrone. The ingredients were collected from ingredients of other dishes, often side dishes or whatever was left over, or what was in the garden on that day.

As eating habits and ingredients changed, so did minestrone.

The introduction of new ingredients from the Americas in the Middle Ages, including tomatoes and potatoes, also changed the soup to the point that tomatoes are now considered a staple ingredient

Today the availability and long storage life of canned stocks and broths means that more minestrone is based on stock or broth rather than water. Unusual vegetables such as the many varieties of squash or Asian ingredients have also changed this soup. Today the tradition continues in a modern way. However you make it, minestrone is a classic.

I have included two recipes, one is with meat and one is vegetarian. Both are great. Enjoy.

This column has been a collaborative effort between Auburn natives chef Max Hitchcock and his mother, Susan Silverman.

Minestrone with Pesto: Minestrone con Pesto Recipe

Pesto:

3 tablespoons pine nuts

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic

1 pinch sea salt

5 ounces extra-virgin olive oil

Minestrone:

1 1/2 cups borlotti (or pinto) beans

1 1/2 cups cannelloni (or white) beans

1 medium red onion, cut into medium dice

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch moons, 1/2-inch thick

4 plum canned plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

4 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 leeks, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch moons

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 ounces small shells pasta

1/2 cup pesto

To make the pesto: In a large stone mortar, place the pine nuts, basil, garlic, and salt, and grind with a pestle until paste. Drizzle in the olive oil, beating with a wooden spoon. This can also be done in a food processor. Store in jars, topped with extra-virgin olive oil, for up to 1 week.

To make the minestrone:

Soak the borlotti and Cannelloni beans separately overnight and drain.

In a large soup pot, place both kinds of beans, the onion, zucchini, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, leeks, and olive oil, and cover by 1-inch with cool water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the beans are tender about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Add the pasta, and turn the heat to high. Cook the pasta at a boil until al dente. Divide the soup among four bowls and top each bowl of minestrone with a dollop of pesto floating on top.

- Source: Courtesy of Mario Batali

Super Quick Minestrone

1 cup (4 ounces) tubetti pasta or other small pasta shape

Extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups chicken stock

1/4 pound pancetta, cut into three pieces

6 medium garlic cloves, each cut in 1/2 lengthwise

2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small onions)

1 cup small-diced celery (2 medium stalks)

1 cup small-diced carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots)

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves

1 14-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes

4 cups small-diced zucchini (green/yellow) (5 small zucchini)

2 cups small-diced, peeled russet potatoes (1 large russet)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a baking sheet. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the chicken stock.

In another large saucepan over high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the pancetta and cook until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and add onions, celery and carrots.

Cook until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add the chopped herbs. Raise the heat to high.

Add the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then bring it down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes, skimming any foam off the top of the soup. Season generously with pepper. Add salt, to taste. Just a few minutes before serving, add the cooked tubetti pasta. Serve warm with Parmesan and olive oil passed at the table.

Cooking notes: Add the cooked pasta just before serving. If it sits in the soup too long, it develops a flabby texture. Tubetti (little hollow tubes) are the classic pasta for minestrone, but you could substitute another small shape of pasta.

- Source: Courtesy Michael Chiarello