Italian Pasta and Bean Soup
This Italian Pasta and Bean Soup will warm you right up on a brisk Wyoming day.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian turkey sausage or other ground meat
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans or other beans
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can (14 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, NOT drained
- 4 cups low-sodium broth beef, chicken, vegetable, mushroom, etc.
- 1 Tablespoon dried Italian herbs
- 1 1/2 cups (about 7 ounces) ditalini pasta or other short pasta
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For garnish: Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook sausage/ground meat over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, using a spoon to break up the meat.
- Wash the counter and utensils that touched the raw meat. Wash hands with soap and water after handling raw meat.
- Scrub the onion, carrot, and garlic with a clean vegetable brush under running water. Gently rub celery under cold running water.
- Peel the carrot. Dice the onion, celery, and carrot. Mince garlic cloves to equal 1 Tablespoon.
- Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pot. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until soft or tender (about 5-8 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove excess fat from pot.
- Add the beans, tomato paste, diced tomatoes with liquid, broth, and Italian herbs.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat, then stir in the pasta. Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking until the pasta is tender (see pasta cooking recommendation). Stir the pasta occasionally as it’s cooking so that it doesn’t stick to the pot.
- Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
