not americanized.

minestrone is not a specific dish - it just means "big soup" and is generally bunches of vegetables, often leftovers, cut up, or whatever one has on hand. beans are often added, and pasta OR rice are typically added. in the US we get more pasta-oriented things, because most immigrants are from the southern (poorer) parts of italy where rice is practically unheard of - pasta always used. in the north rice is common - in fact there are rice plantations. pasta is also used in the north however.

pasta and rice are never used together. either one or the other. even in asian dishes, that have pasta-like preparations based on bean, or rice starch, i've always seen a single kind in any given dish.

the only place i've ever seen a pasta + rice type thing is in rice-a-roni (and i'm not even exactly sure what's in it, grainwise, lol!)

~ waves ~
p.s. i like rice-a-roni!