Leftover Spaghetti Sauce Minestrone

As our two freezer weeks come to an end, I thought I’d finish with a recipe that comes out of the freezer rather than goes into the freezer.  Back in July I wrote about making a big pot of spaghetti sauce and freezing the leftovers.  I then wrote about turning some of that leftover spaghetti sauce into chili.  But that’s not all you can do with it!  Just a few simple additions and you have minestrone!

I froze 1 quart, knowing I would
want to use it for minestrone.

The beans also came out of my
freezer.  I decided not to rinse
them and let the bean juice
add to the flavor of the
minestrone.

Minestrone is one of those soups that really has no recipe.  It contains whatever vegetables are in season or on hand and may or may not contain meat or a starch (rice or pasta).  Different regions of Italy have different variations of minestrone as well as does each Italian cook.  Because this version of minestrone has meat, vegetables, and a starch, it can be served as an entrée soup.  It goes great with a slice of crusty bread and a side salad.

Leftover Spaghetti Sauce Minestrone

1 qt. water

6 tsp. beef bouillon

½ c. elbow macaroni

1 qt. leftover spaghetti sauce, thawed

1 c. frozen peas

1 c. kidney beans

Parmesan cheese (optional)

In large pan, bring water and bouillon to boil.  Add macaroni and cook just until al dente.   Turn heat down to medium.  Add spaghetti sauce, peas, and kidney beans.  Heat through.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese if desired.