If using soya mince, soak it in the vegetable stock to give it a chance to absorb the flavour. Fry onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes in a little olive oil. Add carrot (and any other hard vegetables) and then mushrooms. Fry for 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and vegetable stock. Add any frozen vegetables and soya mince at this point. Add 1 tsp basil and 1 tsp of thyme or sage. Simmer for 20 minutes, adding more water if necessary, whilst cooking the pasta. Add a handful of sunflower seeds a few minutes before serving.

For a change, you could use red lentils instead of soya mince, but extend the cooking time by at least 10 minutes.