Italian Pasta Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 75g of pasta bows
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, sliced into small pieces
• 1 large carrot, scrubbed and cut into small pieces
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• Grated parmesan cheese to garnish. 

Method

1. Bring a medium sized pan of water to the boil and add the pasta.  Simmer until the pasta is tender, but not completely cooked (about 8 minutes).  Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent it from sticking together or cooking further, Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion.  Fry over a medium heat for 8 minutes until softened and golden.
3. Add the celery, carrot, potatoes, oregano, bay leaf and. Stir well.
4. Pour in the stock and chopped tomatoes.  Stir again and bring to the boil.
5. When the soup is bubbling reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
6. Remove the lid and add the pasta bows, stir well.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with parmesan cheese (optional)