Pasta E Fagioli

This is a knock-off version of  Olive Garden's Past E Fagioli soup.  It's the soup I always get whenever I go there for lunch to get their Soup Salad and bread sticks.  Please listen to me when I say this.  This soup is awesome!  Seriously!  It tastes just like OG's if not better!  I like that I am able to use whatever meat I'd like in it.  It also comes together very easily and the ingredients should be staples in your pantry.  I would imagine if you're vegetarian or would like less red meat in your diet, this would still be an awesome soup without the meat.  


My kids absolutely gobbled this soup up.  They both had two large bowls full, which is good because they are both battling colds!  Also, on a side note.  Summer can get here any time now :) 

Ingredients:  

1 lbs. ground beef.  (I used ground sirloin)

1 large carrot, sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

1/2 onion, diced

1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes, don't drain the liquid

1 26 oz container of beef stock

3 Tbs. hot sauce

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

8 oz. pasta (any small pasta will work)

1.5 Tbs. Oregano

1.5 Tbs Parsley

1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

In a large stock pot, start browning your meat.  Once it starts to brown, add your carrots, celery, and onion.  Continue to cook for a few minutes to soften the veggies a bit and brown the meat the rest of the way. 

Add the two cans of tomatoes with their juice and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.  

After ten minutes, add the remaining ingredients:  Beef Stock, noodles, parsley, oregano, hot sauce, white kidney beans, red kidney beans, spaghetti sauce, and black pepper.  Stir to combine.  Let simmer for 45 minutes, or until carrots are soft.  

On a side note, it's 9:45 am and I just finished this bowl that I took pictures of.  It felt like the right thing to do.