This soup is like bolognese, but the soup version. I wanted to have pasta and hungrybae wanted to have soup, thus this Franken dish was born. It seems strange but was actually quite satisfying and comforting. Bonus points for the next day as the pasta absorbs the liquid and you have a pasta dish to take to work!

Ingredients:

• oil for cooking
• 3/4 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp garlic paste or fresh
• 250g mince of your choice (ostrich or beef)
• 1/2 tin chopped peeled tomato
• 2 Tb tomato sauce or tomato puree
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• mixed herbs (marjoram, oregano, thyme, basil) or fresh if you have
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup macaroni elbows
• salt to taste
• a dash of fresh cream, optional

Method:

1. Put a little bit of oil in a pot and saute the onion.
2. Add the garlic then mince and brown the mince until nicely caramelised.
3. Add the chilli flakes, sugar, mixed herbs and tinned tomato.
4. Add the water, and macaroni elbows and boil.
5. Once the macaroni is almost cooked add the cream and simmer on low heat so as to not split the cream.
6. Season with salt to taste.
7. Add freshly chopped basil to serve.

Tips:

You can make this as soupy or thick as you like. If you reduce the cream it will be much thicker. On standing the macaroni will absorb the liquid – keep this in mind If preparing in advance. You can use any pasta but macaroni elbows are easier to eat. I did not have fresh herbs so used dried and added fresh coriander at the end. Basil would have been best tho!

Enjoy!