Pasta é Fagioli

I just have to share this delicious recipe which is so quick and easy when made in the Thermomix! This is the kind of quick meal I do quite often, especially when it's a last minute thing and I have forgotten to thaw out meat for dinner. I know the original recipe is a lot more involved - an Italian lady I know says her mum was blown away with how quick it is to make in the Thermomix! For those of you who don't have a Thermomix, just change it to chopping by hand and cooking on the stove. (Adapted from a recipe in the Thermomix cookbook.)

1. Drop onto rotating blades, speed 4, and chop for 5 seconds:
- 1 red chilli (or less, to taste)
- 1 clove garlic
Scrape from sides with spatula.

2. Add oil and saute for 2 minutes at 100° on speed 1:
- 50g olive oil

3. Add, and pulverise for 30 seconds on speed 6:
- 1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped in two inch pieces
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 fresh tomatoes, halved
- 2 Tablespoons Thermomix vegetable stock paste (or to taste)
- 50g tomato paste

4. Add water and cook for 10 minutes on 100 degrees, speed 1:
- 850g water

5. Add and cook for 8 minutes at 100° on reverse, speed soft:
- 250g gluten free pasta (eg shells/macaroni/tortellini)
- another can of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed

6. Serve pasta sprinkled with fresh grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tip: This turns out quite soupy, which is how I like it - you can mop up the juices with bread!  But if you want it thicker, just add more pasta, up to 350g.