Pasta e Fagioli

My husband was out for the evening, so my friend and her son came over for dinner. Since it was a cold and rainy day, I was in the mood for an Italian bean and pasta soup, so I made this pasta e fagioli soup recipe from Cooking Light. The soup was rich in flavor and thick with beans, meat, and pasta, and fresh spinach, which topped it off nicely. This soup was a big hit and paired nicely with a big Italian salad and some crusty roasted garlic bread slathered with butter.

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 Italian sausages, casing removed (turkey or pork)
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 (28-oz) can of whole tomatoes, blended
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 2 (15-oz) cans of white beans, drained
• 1 tsp of dried basil
• ½ tsp of dried oregano
• Pinch of crushed red pepper, to taste
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 cup of tubed shaped pasta
• 1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated,  for serving

How to Make Pasta e Fagioli

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the sausages, removed from casings, and cook until done and well crumbled.

Add the garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds, then add the chicken broth.

Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl, blend the tomatoes thoroughly with an immersion blender (or blender), then pour into the Dutch oven.

Add the drained beans and seasonings to the soup, simmer, partially covered, for 1-2 hours.

When you are ready to eat, turn the soup up to a slow boil, then add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Taste the soup and re-season if needed.

Once the pasta is cooked, add the fresh spinach and parsley. Serve with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy.

Side Note: Be careful not to add too much pasta, because it will thicken up the soup too much.