This recipe is adapted from this video. I'm really loving "Tortellino"'s videos, such delicious food and so easy to follow. Plus he doesn't expect you to spend serious money at artisanal shops, but sources his ingredients (the ones his wife doesn't grow in their garden) from Lidl and Tesco, like normal people! Anyway, I had a hock ham, which I knew wouldn't have leftovers or a great deal of stock (but it did have some), and all the dried beans in my kitchen were so very long past their sell-by date that they would have taken a century to cook! So.....
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 leek (most people use celery, but we don't like it, so I use a leek if I have one, and omit it if I don't. I did, however, have 1/2 one that wanted used)
1 packet lardons (I use unsmoked, but if you prefer smoked, go for it; or, indeed, if you have leftover ham, chop it into small cubes and add it when you add the beans, tomatoes, etc)
Sloosh (about a tablespoonful) tomato paste
1 tin beans of your choice - I used black-eyed
1 tin tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are the nicest), plus tinful of water or ham stock (if available)
Ham stock - the hock only really produced about 2 tablespoonsful, but better than nothing.
1/2 pack baby leaf spinach (or other greens)
100 g small pasta
Pepper. It won't need salt.
Put the chopped carrots, onions, leek and lardons into a heavy-based pan with a little cooking oil, and fry gently for 5-6 minutes.
Now add the drained and rinsed beans, the stock, the tomatoes and water. Decide the pan isn't big enough and move it to a bigger one! This step, I hasten to add, is optional.... 
Bring to the boil, then add the spinach and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Now add the pasta, and leave to cook for the relevant length of time. Serve with a little shaved Parmesan if you like it!
Bring to the boil, then add the spinach and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Now add the pasta, and leave to cook for the relevant length of time. Serve with a little shaved Parmesan if you like it!
