- ➽ 1 clove garlic.
- ➽ 1 red onion.
- ➽ 2 carrots.
- ➽ 2 stalks celery.
- ➽ 1 courgette/zucchini.
- ➽ 1 small leek.
- ➽ 1 large potato.
- ➽ 1 x 400g (15 oz) tin or can of cannellini beans.
- ➽ 2 slices higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon.
- ➽ olive oil.
- ➽ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano.
- ➽ 1 fresh bay leaf.
- ➽ 2 x 400g (14-oz) tins or cans plum tomatoes.
- ➽ 1 litre (4 cups) organic vegetable stock.
- ➽ 1 large handful of seasonal greens, such as savoy cabbage, curly kale, chard.
- ➽ 100 g (4 oz) wholemeal pasta.
- ➽ 1/4-1/2 bunch fresh basil (optional).
- ➽ Parmesan cheese.
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Peel and finely chop the garlic..
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Peel and finely chop the onion..
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Trim and roughly chop the carrots..
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Trim and roughly chop the celery..
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Trim and roughly chop the courgette/zucchini..
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Then add the vegetables to a large bowl..
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Cut the ends off the leeks, quarter them lengthways..
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Wash them under running water....
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Then cut into 1cm slices. Add to the bowl..
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Scrub and dice the potato..
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Drain the cannellini beans, then set aside..
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Finely slice the bacon..
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Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bacon....
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And fry gently for 2 minutes, or until golden..
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Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, courgette/zucchini, and leek..
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Add oregano and bay..
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Cook slowly for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally..
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Add the potato, cannellini beans and plum tomatoes.....
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Then pour in the vegetable stock..
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Stir well, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon..
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Cover with a lid and bring everything slowly to the boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potato is cooked through. Meanwhile....
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Remove and discard any tough stalks bits from the greens....
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Then roughly chop..
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Using a rolling pin, bash the pasta into pieces while it’s still in the packet or wrap in a clean tea towel..
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.
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To check the potato is cooked, pierce a chunk of it with a sharp knife – if it pierces easily, it’s done..
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Add the greens and pasta to the pan, and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente..
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This translates as ‘to the tooth’ and means that it should be soft enough to eat, but still have a bit of a bite and firmness to it..
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Try some just before the time is up to make sure you cook it perfectly..
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Add a splash more stock or water to loosen, if needed..
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Pick over the basil leaves (if using) and stir through..
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Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, then serve with a grating of Parmesan and a slice of wholemeal bread, if you like..