Serves: 4–6 | Time: ~45 minutes 1. Wash and cut into pieces green beans. 2. Wash, peel and dice: onion, carrot, celery and zucchini. 3. Peel and mince garlic cloves. 4. Drain and rinse canned cannellini or kidney beans. 5. Green beans: wash and cut into pieces. 6. Fresh spinach or kale: roughly chopp. 7. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. 8. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until softened. 9. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. 10. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen the flavor. 11. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaf, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil. 12. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 13. Add beans, green beans, zucchini, and pasta. Simmer for another 8–10 minutes, until pasta is tender. 14. Stir in spinach or kale and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted. 15. Remove bay leaf, taste, and adjust seasoning. 16. Serve hot with grated parmesan and fresh herbs if desired.

   Apricot jam can be replaced with another favorite jam (preferably light) or honey. Butter and cream cheese should be at room temperature. You will need 2 large bowls. 1. Preheat the oven to 356F (180 C). Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper. Prepare a larger pan so that the baking pan can fit in it. We will pour water into it. 2. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Place 160 g of cream cheese in a large bowl. Place the bowl with the cheese on the saucepan and whisk until the cream cheese is warm. Add 20 g of butter. Whisk the mixture until the butter melts. 3. Pour in 50 ml of milk and whisk again until smooth. Remove the bowl from the saucepan. 4. Mix 30 g of flour and 10 g of cornstarch. Sift into the cream mixture and whisk. 5. Separate the whites and yolks. 6. Stir the yolks into the cream mixture. Set aside. 7. In a second large bowl, combine 4 whites and 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Add 80 g of sugar in three stages, whisking very thoroughly. Whisk the whites until soft peaks form. 8. Add 1/3 of the whites to the cheese mixture and mix with a whisk. Pour the cheese mixture into the whites and mix with a silicone spatula very carefully, moving from the bottom up, turning. Mix until all the ingredients are mixed (the mixture will be quite liquid.) 9. Pour the mixture into a baking dish. Place the baking dish into a larger dish. Fill the larger dish with hot water 1/3 full. And place in the oven on the middle shelf. 10. Bake for 20 minutes. Open the oven for 10 seconds. Reduce the temperature to 230F(110C) and bake for another 60 minutes. 11. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, turn the pan over, tap it lightly so that the cheesecake falls out. Turn it over onto a plate. Brush the top with apricot jam or honey.