minestra

Etymology
From, from.

Noun

 * 1) soup
 * 2) pasta boiled and eaten with a sauce

Usage notes

 * In the Italian culinary tradition of a multi-course dinner this is usually the first course (not counting antipasto, if any). As a soup, it tends to be lighter than zuppa and with smaller pieces than minestrone.
 * In most settings just ”minestra” will be understood to be a soup-like dish, but the term is also used to refer to, which is a pasta dish.