Oven Baked Minestrone - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 lb. beef, cut up for stew
2 qt. water
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
5 fresh tomatoes, skinned or 1 can tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can pitted ripe olives (medium size)
1 c. zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
4 bouillon cubes
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 1/2 c. sliced carrots
1 c. sea shell macaroni

Preparation

Use a large heavy pot with a tight fitting lid.
Set oven temperature to 350\u00b0.
Put the beef in the pot with olive oil, onion and finely chopped garlic; stir.
Brown in the oven with a cover off the pot for about 3/4 hour or until meat is well browned.
Stir several times.
Remove pot from the oven; add water, bouillon cubes, parsley and Italian seasoning.
Put cover on pot and return to oven for 1 hour.
Take pot out of oven and add all ingredients, except zucchini; stir well.
Cover and return to oven for 45 minutes.
Add sea shell macaroni; stir well.
Cover again for 1/2 hour.
Lastly, add zucchini for 1/4 hour more. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.