Pasta e Fagioli

PRE-STORY: I found out TODAY it's National Soup Month. It's the 20th!!! A little late, so poor Dude in in for a lot of soup over the next 11 days.

DISH: Soup
SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: Food Network, Pasta and Beans: Pasta e Fagioli, Rachel Ray
PREP TIME: ~15 minutes COOK TIME: 20 minutes

• 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 pound (about 3 slices) pancetta, chopped
• Added 1 Hot Italian Sausage link, 1 Sweet Italian Sausage link - made meatballs with the pancetta and sausage
• 2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact
• 1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig thyme with several sprigs on it, left intact
• Added 1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig Oregano
• 1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
• 1 cup canned tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes I used one small can tomato sauce and a 14 oz can of diced Italian Tomatoes
• 2 cups water Instead of water, I used 1 Cup Sangiovese wine and 1 Cup Chicken Broth
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups ditalini I used elbow macaroni

• Grated Parmigiano or Romano, for the table
• Crusty bread, for mopping

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly. Since I made the meatballs, I browned the meatballs in the olive oil. Add herb stems (next time, I will take the herbs off of the stems and chop them, I didn't like the big bits in the soup), bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water (wine/broth mix), and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta (next time, I'll cook the pasta separately then add to the mix before serving, that way I could make sure there was enough liquid). Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.

SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Serves 6

Calories: 365; Total Fat 10 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 18 grams; Total carbohydrates: 50 grams; Sugar: 8 grams Fiber 9 grams; Cholesterol: 13 milligrams; Sodium: 1,101 milligrams

RATING/DIFFICULTY:
3 Good but Needs Tweakin!!!

Easy Peasy

SERVED WITH:
Wegman’s Garlic Italian Bread.

FINAL NOTES:
I have a feeling this will be even better tomorrow. As you read above, there are still some things I would have done differently but overall, the flavor is there and oh so filling!!!