Pasta e fagioli

• Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a good pinch of salt and fry gently for 12-15 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the pancetta at this point too, if using.
• Add the chopped rosemary and garlic to the pan and cook for a minute more until fragrant.
• Pour in the chopped tomatoes, stock, bay leaves and parmesan rind (if using). Bring to the boil and lower to a simmer for 5-6 minutes. Reserve about ¼ beans from the jar and add the rest with their bean stock to the pan. Simmer for a couple of minutes to warm the beans through.
• Add the reserved beans to a blender along with 1.5 ladlefuls of the mixture from the pan. Blend until smooth then pour this back into the pan with the rest of the stock—this will help to thicken the soup. Mix to combine and simmer for a further 4-5 minutes.
• Check for seasoning—we’ll be cooking the pasta directly into the soup so it must taste good. Bring to a moderate boil then add the pasta. Cook for around 8 minutes, until al dente, stirring every so often to make sure it isn’t sticking - add a splash of water if it looks like it needs it.
• Add the grated parmesan, parsley/basil and the juice of half a lemon. Stir to combine, remove from the heat and allow to sit for a few minutes to let the flavours mingle.
• Serve into bowls, drizzled with your best olive oil and extra parmesan.

Make it your own:

Omit parmesan to make it plant-based, add a sprinkling of crispy pancetta for some more indulgence, or even include a medley of beans.