It's letter F of Alphabetti and were doing Pasta e Fagioli. This is comfort in a bowl. The beans are soft and plump and with the pasta cooked in the sauce, the whole thing is unctuous and super nourishing.
Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add a generous splash of olive oil and follow with the diced carrot, onion and celery. Fry for around 5-6 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, chopped rosemary and fennel seeds into the pan and stir into the veg mix. Fry for around a minute then add the beans, chopped tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Take out a few ladles of the beany mixture and blend until completely smooth then pour back into the pot and stir together.
Top up with the rest of the water, bring up the heat and add the pasta. Bubble away until the pasta is cooked.
While the pasta cooks, fry the tofu until crispy, stirring to make sure all sides are evenly cooked. Add the seasonings and toss to coat. Set to one side.
Finish the pot of pasta with plenty of black pepper, lemon juice and vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast.