Recipe: Pasta e Fagioli

This recipe was shared with me by a co-worker over a year ago and has quickly made it's place in my cravings list. Pasta e Fagioli is a delicious, hearty, filling Italian soup served over pasta. I've modified it a couple times to fit my preferences, and am a huge fan of where I've landed on this one. Three types of beans and two types of meat for richness and protein, four types of veggies for hidden nutrition, and topped off with decadent pasta, parmesan and olive oil. And it's freezer friendly. What's not to love?

Pasta e Fagioli

Total Time:  1 hour            Serves:   8

Ingredients:                                                                                        

1 pound bacon                                             1/2 tsp. black pepper     

2 pounds ground beef                                  1/2 tsp. paprika

1 yellow onion                                              1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

6 stalks celery                                              1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted preferred, but not necessary)

6 large carrots, peeled                                 1 jar tomato basil pasta sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced                                1 can black beans, rinsed

2 T. dried basil                                             1 can pinto beans, rinsed

1 T. dried oregano                                       1 can navy beans, rinsed

1 T. dried thyme                                           1/2 box ditalini or other small pasta

1 tsp. salt                                                      grated parmesan & olive oil for garnish

1. Dice the bacon and cook until crisp in a large stock pot. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
2. While bacon cooks, brown the ground beef in a separate skillet. Drain grease and set aside.
3. Dice the onion, carrot and celery and add to the stock pot. Cook in the bacon grease until the onions are translucent & the celery and carrots are slightly softened.
4. Add the garlic and spices, let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked beef, tomatoes, pasta sauce, and beans. Stir and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Place approximately 1/2 cup pasta in the bottom of each bowl and ladle soup on top. Top with the crispy bacon, garnish with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
   
   **Soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. For best results, add pasta just before serving to prevent it from soaking up liquid and becoming soggy during freezing/thawing.

When picking a pasta, I do recommend ditalini (small little cylinders). If you can't find ditalini, other choices could include orzo, macaroni, or even mini shells (which is what I had on hand the day I made and photographed this.) You wouldn't want to use a larger pasta such as farfalle in this case, as too large of a pasta will make getting the right balance of pasta and soup in one bite nearly impossible. :)

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