Easy Minestrone

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped, or more to taste
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 carrots, sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen green beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup seashell pasta, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot oil until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in carrots until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour chicken broth and diced tomatoes into onion mixture; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add red wine, reduce heat to low, and stir green beans, pinto beans, spinach, basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook seashell pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and stir pasta into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.