Minestrone with Autumn pesto

Dice the onion.

Cut the fennel in half. Roughly dice into 1 cm cubes.

Peel the carrot and dice into 1 cm cubes.

Remove the leaves from the celery and dice into 1 cm cubes.

Place a pot of salted water on to boil to pre-cook the pasta.

Peel and mince the garlic.

Open and strain the borlotti beans.

Cook the pasta in boiling water until just done, about 8 to 10 minutes. Strain and cool under running water.

In a large pot, sweat the onion and carrot in a little oil for a minute, then add the garlic, celery and fennel, and cook for another minute or two.

Add the minestrone paste and give it a good mix. Crush the tomatoes and add to the pot, a pinch of salt, and water then bring to a simmer and add the beans.

Taste the soup and add more salt, as needed. Make sure the carrot is cooked before adding in the cooked pasta and warming through.

Serve soup topped with Autumn pesto. Don’t eat the bay leaf!