Pasta e Fagioli

Classic Italian peasant dish. Simple, satisfying bean and pasta soup

1. 1

   PREP
   Drain and rinse the beans in a sieve under the tap.
   Wash and finely chop the celery. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and dice the carrot and potato. Wash and chop the parsley.

2. 2

   FRY
   Put the pancetta in a saucepan and sauté over a low heat for 3-5 minutes.
   Add the chopped onion, celery and parsley and cook over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
   Add the carrot and potato and cook for a further 3 minutes.

3. 3

   ADD
   Dilute the tomato paste in 100ml of hot water. Add to the pan together with the chilli flakes and the beans. Cook for another 10 minutes.

4. 4

   BOIL
   Boil a kettle. Add 1 litre of hot water and ½ teaspoon of salt to the pan. Turn up the heat and bring the soup to the boil.
   Add the pasta and cook in the soup for about 10 minutes or as directed on the packet.

5. 5

   SERVE
   Serve with a generous grind of black pepper