Canned Pulses

When this mixture is really soft (remember you’re not going to cook the pulses, just heat them up) stir in white beans, borlotti, lentils or chick peas. If I’m using lentils (which aren’t quite as satisfactory as other tinned pulses) I add a carrot to the pulped mixture; chick peas can take the fierce rasp of a dried, or fresh, red chilli. And if you have lying around herbs other than parsley, then use them: rosemary and sage work particularly well with cannellini and borlotti, but you will need, especially with the rosemary, to make sure they are well minced.