Italian Bean And Pasta Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

225 g dried navy beans, soaked over-night (dried white haricot beans)
110 g small macaroni noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 -3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 3/4 liters chicken stock or 1 3/4 liters vegetable stock
salt & freshly ground black pepper
75 g grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and gently fry the onion with the crushed garlic for about 10 minutes.
Add the tomato puree and basil and stir in for another minute.
Drain the beans and add them into the saucepan alongwith the stock and bring the soup up to simmering point and then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour or half hour more till the beans are cooked and tender.
After the beans have been cooked, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
Pour half the soup in a liquidiser and blend it.
Return the pureed half back into the pan with the remaining soup and bring it to simmering point.
Add in the macaroni and simmer for a further 12 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Remove from heat and serve immediately with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese sprinkled over.