• 200 g (7 oz) dried white beans, large broad or butter beans, or the smaller cannellini, or haricot beans
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 6 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
• 2 dried red pimentos
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 300 g (10 oz) Calasparra rice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• good pinch of saffron
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• water

Soak the beans the night before, and the next day simmer until tender.

About 45 minutes before you want to serve the rice, heat the oil in a paella pan, and in it gently fry the onions, garlic and crushed pimentos for a few minutes. Remove, and put to one side.

Fry the tomatoes, and then add the rice, the rest of the ingredients, and 3 times as much water as rice, including the bean cooking liquid. Bring to the boil, add the beans, and cook for about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.