Pasta Fagioli Soup

by Mary Sacks

Rumor has it this recipe tastes a lot like the version of a certain chain. I’m not tasting it because every time I order soup out, it’s way too salty. This one is not.

Ingredients

¾ cup ditalini pasta
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
½ lb. spicy Italian sausage (casing removed)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cups prepared RBC Chicken Broth
2 cups prepared RBC Vegetable Broth
8 oz. can tomato sauce
8 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
¾ tsp. dried thyme
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add Italian sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat and set aside.
Add remaining 1 tsp. oil to the stockpot. Stir in garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Whisk in RBC Chicken Broth, RBC Vegetable Broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, Italian sausage and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in pasta and beans until heated through. Serve immediately.

Food for Thought

OK, let’s take it apart.
Pasta. Classic is ditalini. You just need a pasta that can hold its own. Any tube will do. Exception. You notice that the recipe wants you to cook the pasta separately. This is a good policy. The starch in pasta changes your soup. So, if you absolutely want to use the leftover fine noodles you had with the pork the night before, there is no harm because you can just stir them in just before you serve.
Sausage. I can be lazy. First, I’m the only one in the house that likes spicy. Therefore, I tend to lean towards sweet Italian and with any luck, the store I’m shopping in will have it loose or in patty form.
Chicken Stock & Vegetable Stock. I use both because I’m not sure I want my soup to taste like chicken soup. Using a mix of chicken and vegetable stock is a good idea for a lot of soups.
Tomato products. The original recipe calls for 15 oz. cans of both the sauce and diced tomatoes. This is way too much tomato product for my taste. I usually just freeze the rest and use it in next week’s chili recipe.
Beans. I’m not particular. But, I do lean towards the really, really dark kidney beans and the Cannellini Beans. Both are tough enough to hold up in this soup. There is no law that says you can’t use what you like.