Minestrone

Dice the onion, carrot and celery small and finely chop the garlic. Cut the potatoes and zucchini into 1 cm cubes.

Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a large pot and cook the onion, carrot and celery over medium heat, stirring, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the potatoes and the tomatoes, crushing them with a spoon. Pour in 1.5 litres of water, season with salt, bring to the boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Drain and rinse the beans. Add them to the soup along with the zucchini and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Stir in the pasta and cook, stirring now and then, until tender — check the time on the packet.

If you're making the soup ahead, cook the pasta separately and add it to the bowls — left in the pot, it swells and soaks up the broth.

Season with pepper, turn off the heat, tear in the basil and let it stand for 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with the remaining oil. Done!