Minestrone - To Pasta or Not To Pasta?

[BreezyCooking]

Even though it's hotter than hot here right now (in the mid-90's), with all the terrific veggies burgeoning in the gardens & farmers' markets, I have a hankering to put together a large pot of Minestrone one day this week to enjoy for dinner, lunches, etc., etc.

While I like to add some small pasta to it (tiny shells, ditalini, etc.), was wondering how many of you cook it in the whole large pot of soup, & how many make the pasta separately & then add it per serving. Since the two of us obviously won't be eating the whole pot of soup at one sitting, some of it will end up in the fridge (& perhaps some even in the freezer). Obviously I could live without the extra step, but on the other hand I also wouldn't want the pasta to disintegrate into mush upon reheating.

Last time I made it I didn't add pasta, & for the life of me I now can't remember which way I did it the last time I did use pasta.

[kitchenelf]

I normally use very little pasta in my Minestrone so it's not like you get a bite with every spoonful. I do like tubettini or acini de pepe and I add it towards the end. It seems to do ok for a few days in the fridge. For larger pasta I tend to make it separately though. If you use more pasta than I do I might be tempted to make it separately, cool under cold water, and then add it. That might help it not cook more when reheated - maybe?

[Jeekinz]

Everytime I added pasta to a soup and reheated it, the pasta swelled up so big it was more like pasta with some soup in there.

I'd make it seperate. Cooked pasta stores pretty good.

[suziquzie]

it never ends up well when you add the pasta to the whole pot. at least for me anyway. well worth the extra step.

[DramaQueen]

I never add pasta or rice to a soup until I'm ready to serve it for the reasons everyone mentioned. The pasta soaks up the broth. I make the pasta, then refrigerate it. When I heat the soup I just drop the amount of cooked pasta I want into the soup after it's completely heated and serve it right then. The hot soup heats the pasta so there is no need to cook it further. Works like a charm.

[GotGarlic]

I put about a cup of tiny pasta into about 3 quarts of soup, so it really doesn't take up much broth. Works for me

[CharlieD]

For many other soups I would cook pasta separatly, but Minestrone good till the last drop with pasta cooked in the soup.

[luvs]

i'd just add my pasta, your soup may be cloudy, though.

[VeraBlue]

Since you want to hold it for future use, warming it up each time, I'd add the pasta, already cooked seperately, to each subsequent warming. This way, the past won't continue to cook and cook and cook and cook... The first time you try to warm it up with the pasta already in it, it will blow apart all over the beautiful soup.

[TATTRAT]

antsi di peppe(sp)is the classic and traditional past to add. Even when fully bloated, it is no larger then Israeli couscous.

IMO, minestrone with out pasta, is like chicken with out the noodle...