Italian Vegetable Ragu

Ingredients

• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 can tomatoes, crushed
• 1 cup veg stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• Mix of herbs – marjoram, oregano, basil, rosemary
• 50g baby spinach leaves
• 200g zucchini, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• ½ red capsicum, chopped
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 300g pumpkin, chopped
• 200g small pasta, elbow
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. 1Heat a pot with olive oil and sauté the onion and capsicum until softened, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, zucchini and pumpkin, sautéing for a further 5 minutes.
2. 2Add garlic, herbs, balsamic vinegar, sugar and tomatoes with vegetable stock and water season with salt and pepper. Simmer a further 10 minutes until pumpkin has softened slightly, then add spinach.
3. 3Once spinach has wilted add pasta to dish, check liquid levels as the pasta requires liquid to cook. Stir. You can always add a little more hot stock or hot water if you think it is getting too thick.
4. 4Once pasta has cooked you are ready to serve.