Soak the beans for 12 hours in a lot of clean water with the addition of 1 teaspoon of Sodium Bicarbonate.

Cook the beans gently for at least 1½ hours, until they are soft. It’s quicker if they are cooked in the pressure cooker, it’ll cut the time down to one half or three quarters of an hour.

Drain the cooked beans.

Saute the finely chopped onion and garlic in the olive oil until they just are turning brown. But be careful not to burn the garlic, it can get bitter.

Add the tomato paste and the seasonings, stir well and add the drained beans. Turn the heat right down to low, mash the mixture with a fork or potato masher, then cook until the mixture is heated through.

Adjust the seasoning to your taste.

This recipe re-heats very well.