pasta e fagioli with italian sausage

By sanmo_babe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped (or 1/2 large onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled & chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• ½ lb bulk sweet Italian sausage or remove casing from the links
• 1 teaspoons dry oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 or 1½ cups marinara sauce
• 2-3 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb ditalini or mezzi tubetti
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
• Lots of grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat. Add crumbled sausage and brown. Add onion, celery, carrot and sauté for about 10 minutes or until fairly soft. Stir in garlic, basil, oregano and crushed red pepper.

Stir in marinara sauce, the beans, salt and pepper and stock.

Reduce heat and simmer several minutes, partially covered. Meanwhile cook your pasta in lots of boiling, salted water and drain. Return to the pasta pot and drizzle with a little olive oil. Stir olive oil to coat the pasta and put the lid on the pot to keep it warm.

To serve, spoon some of the pasta into a shallow sided pasta bowl. Spoon the soup mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

Note: If you are keeping leftovers, store the pasta separately from the soup as it will swell and get mushy.