Perfect winter warmer comfort food – this bowl is just so cosy. And the recipe is a real fridge clearer – definitely adapt it to whatever you have on hand. Mix up the pasta shapes or beans, swap the leek for celery, use spinach instead of kale and finish up whatever variety of nuts or seeds you’ve got knocking about in the pesto. I make a variation on this most weeks – you can make something surprisingly hearty and delicious out of odds and ends. It also freezes brilliantly. 

Ingredients

Makes 4 portions
1 white onion, diced
1 leeks, washed and diced
1 carrot, diced
4 closed garlic, finely diced or grated
2 tbsp fennel seeds
Pinch chilli flakes
2 sprigs thyme
2tbsp tomato puree
1l veg stock or broth
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
100g very short pasta of choice
300g cooked borlotti beans
250g mixed sliced cabbage and kale
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the kale pesto:
A really good handful of kale or cavolo Nero leaves
1 tbsp toasted hazelnuts
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Half clove garlic
A little lemon zest and juice
1 tbsp grated parmesan
Salt

Recipe

1. In a large pan sweat the onion, leeks, carrot over a low heat until softened. Add the garlic. Fennel seeds, chilli, thyme  and tomato paste. cook for 2-3 mins then stir in the stock. Add the pasta and beans, simmer over a medium heat for 5 mins, then stir in the cabbage and cavolo nero. Simmer until the greens and pasta are tender, add the vinegar and season to taste 
2. For the pesto blanche the kale in boiling water for 1 min then drain. Blitz in a machine or bash together in a pestle and mortar all ingredients until a smoothish pesto consistency has been reached. Season to taste
3. Spoon the soupy broth into bowls and top with a big dollop of pesto and more parmesan, if you like 

RECENT RECIPES