La minestrina

Preparation - Medium
Serves 2

This soup is wonderful when nursing a cold and children, even tots love it. Throw in any pasta you have, different sizes and shapes are fine too. A solution to leftover pastas.
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, cut in large pieces
1 stick celery, cut in large pieces
1 zucchini cut in large pieces
1 medium sized potato, diced in large pieces.
1 tomato, quartered
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (canned is good, home-made is better)
2 oz or more, to taste, of pasta. Break the large sort into small pieces.
1 or 2 T grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Place all the vegetables in a pot with the broth and salt to taste.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 1/2 an hour till vegetables are quite soft and limp.
Remove from stove. Let cool for a few minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove tomato skin, onion and celery.
Puree the rest of the contents in a food processor, a blender, or with a potato masher. Return to pot and bring back to a boil.
Add the pasta. Stir, lower heat and cook till pasta has soaked up most of the liquid and is very soft, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on amount and size of pasta.
Pour soup into a bowl and mix in the cheese.
For a richer soup use an egg beaten in with the cheese, and stir it slowly into the piping hot soup.