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Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2

No nutritional information available, but this is classed as a healthy herb recipe.

Ingredients

- Drizzle of olive oil
- 185g (6½oz) canned cannellini beans
- 1 carrot, grated
- 210g (7oz) canned finely chopped tomatoes
- 160g (5½oz) trimmed fine green beans
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 15g (½oz) roasted garlic paste
- 15ml balsamic vinegar
- Pinch of sugar
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2½ tsp dried vegetable stock
- 100g (4oz) macaroni
- 50g (2oz) baby kale
- 20g (½oz) shredded basil
- 35g (1¼oz) grated Italian hard cheese

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas Mark 7.

2. Heat a large, lidded oven-proof casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Add the carrot, cannellini beans and chopped tomatoes to the dish and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Meanwhile, chop the green beans into bite-sized pieces and add them to the dish.

4. Add the thyme, dried oregano, roasted garlic paste and balsamic vinegar to the dish. Add a pinch of sugar and the chilli flakes.

5. Stir in the vegetable stock mix and add 600ml (1.2l) boiled water. Stir through the macaroni and kale and bring to the boil over a high heat.

6. Cover with a lid and put the dish in the oven for 20 minutes or until the macaroni is cooked through and everything is tender.

7. To serve, tear the basil leaves into the minestrone. Sprinkle over the grated Italian hard cheese.