How To Make Pasta Soup

You can add cooked pasta to any soup, of course, but with this one you actually cook the pasta in the soup, so it’s doubly easy to do on a busy school night when you want to get the children fed and off to bed as quickly and painlessly as possible.

1. Step 1:

   Roughly chop the onion then put in a food processor or blender with the baked beans and tinned tomatoes and whiz for a minute or so until smooth.

2. Step 2:

   Pour a pint (500 ml) of (any) stock into a very large saucepan and mix with the puréed beans, tomatoes, onion, herbs and a little tomato and garlic purée.

3. Step 3:

   Bring to the boil over a medium heat and when the soup is bubbling add the pasta and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently until the pasta is just cooked.

4. Step 4:

   Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper or a little more tomato purée if necessary and serve with grated cheese.

5. Never throw out surplus cooked rice, pasta, couscous or quinoa, which can be added to soups and salads.