Olive-Garden-Pasta-e-Fagioli

By SMorrissey

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 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 12-ounce can V-8 juice
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta

Preparation

Step 1

Ninja Instructions:
I browned the meat on the High Stovetop setting, drained, then added the veggies to saute for 10 mins. (as the recipe instructs). Then I added all other ingredients except for the pasta and switched to High on the Crockpot setting for 4 hours and stirred occasionally. I didn't want the veggies to have any crunch so it needed the 4 hours on high to soften the carrots and celery. To be honest it was so good at this point I didn't even add the pasta!! If you were going to add pasta I would add an extra cup of water and do it in the last half hour or so of cooking. It was sooooo good!!!