Hungarian Pasta Sheet Soup

Pasta sheet soup ("lebbencsleves") is a hearty, smoky-flavoured soup of the Great Plain shepherd's kitchen – the pasta is toasted in a dry pan, which gives its characteristic character.

1. Cut the bacon into small cubes, and over a medium heat render its own fat, until the crackling is crisp.

2. In the rendered fat sweat the finely chopped onion glassy.

3. Add the crushed garlic, then take it off the heat and quickly stir in the paprika (so it does not burn).

4. Add the diced potato, the pepper and the tomato.

5. Pour in the water, season with salt, pepper and caraway, then cook it for 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile toast the pasta sheets golden in a dry pan, stirring – take care, they take colour quickly.

7. Add the toasted pasta to the soup, and cook it tender in a further 10-12 minutes.

8. Serve hot, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Tip: The dry-toasting of the pasta gives the soup its characteristic, nutty flavour – do not skip this step.