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 on beans.