Mum’s Brown Lentil Minestrone with Quadratini

A bowl that fed us in more ways than one. My mum made this soup exactly the same way every time. Always with pasta. Always on a cold day when one of us wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t like lentils much – something about being forced to eat them as a child – so she made this only when she felt she had to. But to me, it never felt reluctant. I’ve loved lentils since I was little, and this was one of those dishes that brought comfort without asking for attention.

I now make it with hom