Instructions: 1. How can a soup be fried? Its simple: Minestrone is a thick soup, dense with vegetables. The idea is that any leftovers can be reused by passing the vegetables through a food mill, stirring in a bit of flour, forming the mass into patties or a single omelette-like shape, and then frying it in oil - much as leftover pasta or risotto in other parts of Italy is sometimes formed into croquettes, dusted with breadcrumbs, and fried for a next-day meal. According to my Genoese friend Giorgio Bergami, the vegetables shouldnt be overcooked to begin with - and the mixture should definitely include pasta, preferably the short little noodles called bricchetti (match stick) in Genoese dialect, to provide added starch to help hold the mixture together.

2. Drain any excess broth through a fine sieve, and pass the soup through a food mill or blender. Stir in a small amount of flour, a little bit at a time, until you have a patty that holds its shape. Season with salt and pepper, and press in breadcrumbs if desired. In a non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, fry each patty until golden and warm throughout.

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