Sausage & kale minestrone

Use whatever small pasta shape is your favourite for this comforting bowl of minestrone soup – just amend the cooking time according to pack instructions

Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 sausages, skins removed
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
½-1 red chilli, depending on how much heat you prefer, sliced
½ large head of broccoli, finely chopped
2 courgettes, sliced into half-moons
200g small pasta (we used ditalini)
1½ litres chicken stock, made with low-salt chicken stock cube
200g curly kale or cavolo nero, stalks removed, roughly chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
20g parmesan, shaved

Method
STEP 1
Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large, deep pot that has a lid. Cook the onion for 10 mins until softened and golden at the edges.

STEP 2
Crumble in the sausages, breaking them into bite-sized pieces using a spoon. Cook for 7-8 mins until golden and crisp. Stir in the garlic and chilli.

STEP 3
Add the broccoli and courgettes. Cook for 10-12 mins until soft, then pour in the pasta and chicken stock. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for 8-10 mins, until the pasta is almost cooked.

STEP 4
Wilt in the kale or cavolo nero in batches and cook for a further 2-3 mins, until the kale is cooked and the pasta is al dente. Squeeze in the lemon juice and season well. Divide between four bowls and sprinkle over the lemon zest and parmesan shavings to serve.