Minestrone Napoletana

1.	Place the pepper under a preheated grill and cook, turning frequently, until the skin is charred and blistered. Place in a plastic bag and tie the top.
2.	When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, halve and de-seed the pepper and dice the flesh. Finely chop the pancetta with the onion, carrot and garlic.
3.	Heat the olive oil, add the pancetta mixture and cook over a low heat for a few minutes until lightly browned.
4.	Add the tomatoes and parsley and cook for about 10 minutes.
5.	Add 2 litres/3 1/2 pints water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, add the potatoes and beans and simmer for 1 hour.
6.	Add the courgettes, peas, cabbage, escarole, aubergines and yellow pepper. Simmer for a further 30 minutes.
7.	Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes until al dente. Season with salt if necessary. Ladle the minestrone into a soup tureen, sprinkle with the basil and serve with provolone.

	1 yellow pepper 50 g/2 oz pancetta
	1/2 onion 1/2 carrot
	1/2 clove garlic 2 tablespoons olive oil
	3 tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded and chopped 1 sprig fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 potatoes, diced
	100 g/3 1/2 oz shelled broad beans
	2 courgettes, sliced
	100 g/3 1/2 oz shelled peas
	1/4 cabbage, coarsely shredded
	1 escarole head, cut into strips 2 aubergines, diced
	100 g/3 1/2 oz cannolicchi pasta
	2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil salt and pepper provolone cheese, grated, to serve