Pasta de fagioli

Don't let the fancy name scare you. It really is a simple soup. It's a copy cat recipe from Olive Garden. The soup my husband calls "chili" when he orders it at Olive Garden. 

I decided to bring Olive Garden home tonight. Not that I watched an Olive Garden commercial and was craving their food or anything. Commercials didn't get me til' now. Oh, boy.

The classic question you are asked once your food is set in front of you.

"Would you like fresh grated Parmesan on that?"

"Okay, tell me when."

You never know if you are to say "stop" or "when".

The pile starts to mound... "when!", you exclaim.

Then you guiltlessly eat a mountain of melted cheese.

Recipe link here.

I used sausage instead of ground beef and added more tomato

juice and less pasta. Go easy on the salt since sausage is seasoned.

Revised recipe below. 

Pasta de fagioli

1 pound sausage
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 Qt. tomato juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/3 pound (1/3 pkg.) ditali pasta

Brown the sausage in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat.
Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.
About 50 minutes into the simmering, in another pan cook the pasta for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.  

Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. 

Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more and serve.

Recipe by Todd Wilbur

Enjoy,

Hope