Pasta e Fagioli

Pasta e Fagioli - my own variation based on Olive Garden's copycat recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, diced (1 cup)

1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)

3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)

1/4 red bell, diced

1/4 green bell, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 t Kitchen Bouquet

1 tablespoon white vinegar

21 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes

1 12 oz. can V-8

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

4 cups beef broth

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)

1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)

1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) mini wagon wheel pasta

Steps:

1. Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat with S & P. Drain off most of the fat.

2. Add onion, carrot, celery and bell peppers.  Season with S& P, and saute for 10 minutes. Add garlic, herbs, worc., KB, vinegar and saute another minute.

3. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, and broth, and simmer for 1 hour.

4. About 40 minutes into the simmering, add the beans. 

5. About 50 minutes into the simmering, add the pasta. Adjust any S &Simmer until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and serve garnished with parsley and fresh grated parmesan.

Note: If you are not going to be finishing all of this soup in the first sitting, you would probably want to cook the pasta separately and add to each serving.  Store leftovers separately.