Winter Vegetable Minestrone

Heat the oil in a 6–7 litre pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of the salt and cook 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly golden. Add garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes until it darkens.

Add tomatoes, water or stock, Parmesan rind, and the remaining salt; bring to a boil. Add squash and beans and simmer uncovered 25–30 minutes, stirring the bottom now and then, until the squash is tender and some cubes have started to break down into the broth.

Stir in the cabbage and simmer 10 minutes until silky and tender. Remove the rosemary stem and the Parmesan rind (chop any soft bits and return them). Taste for salt. If freezing, stop here: portion off what you'll freeze before adding pasta.

Bring the soup to a lively simmer, add the pasta, and cook 1–2 minutes longer than the package time, stirring often, until tender. Add water if it gets too thick. Serve with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. To freeze: cool the pasta-free soup in shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours, and freeze up to 3 months; reheat to a simmer and cook fresh pasta right in it.