Pasta e Fagioli

Mmmmmm.....just remembering this soup that we made last week, "mmmm" is what comes to mind.

Hearty and earthy made with pasta, beans, pancetta and spicy Italian sausage. This Italian peasant soup left us feeling anything but deprived. 

The recipe we used didn't call for the Italian sausage originally but we were absolutely reaffirmed with this tweak when we took the first bite. It gave the soup another layer of flavor as well as a little more meatiness than the thinly sliced pancetta that we used provided. 

Served with some jazzed up refrigerated bread sticks brushed with olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese it was great meal for a chilly Monday night.

RECIPE:

Pasta e Fagioli (Adapted from Cuisine at Home January/February 2013)

2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

6 oz. diced pancetta

1/2 lb ground spicy Italian sausage

11/2 cups diced onion

1/2 cup each diced carrots and celery

2 Tblspns tomato paste

1 Tblspn minced garlic

2 sprigs fresh thyme and sage

1 dried bay leaf

3 cans diced fire roasted tomatoes in juice (14.5 oz each)

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 cups dry ditalin pasta

Grated parmesan

Minced Italian parsley

Brown sausage in a large dutch oven and drain on paper towels. Cook pancetta in dutch oven. Transfer to paper towel lined plate and set aside with sausage.

Reserve 3 tablespoons drippings. Saute' onion, carrot, and celery in drippings until onion browns, 6-7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic, cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Deglaze pan with 1 cup chicken broth, scrapping brown bits. Add beans, remaining broth, sausage and pancetta. Add thyme and bay leaf. Cover dutch oven and cook 20-30 minutes until heated through.

In meantime cook pasta as directed on box. Drain. Add pasta to bottom of soup bowls, ladle soup over pasta. Grate parmesan over soup and add minced parsley.