Pasta Y Fagioli Soup

Have I mentioned how fanatical about soup I am? Next to pasta, soup is my great love. I could likely live on nothing but pasta and soup. Fall and Winter are the best times of the year to enjoy nice, hearty soups. Here is one that will fill you up and keep your little toes warm!

Start by dicing up some veggies; just the basics, celery, carrots, and onion! 

Add some butter and olive oil to a pan and let the butter melt

(you know, everything is better with butter!) 

Getcha 5 pieces of bacon, and cut 'em up. 

Then throw 'em in the pan and let em sizzle. Cook until they reach your desired doneness. 

(some people like it more crispy than others, right?) 

Add in your vegetables, and cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent

Get your tomatoes, cut em up a little. Also, this is when you add your beans. 

Then you'll add your broth, stock, and water and let that soup a-simmer for as long as you can! The longer is goes the better it tastes :) 

Dintalini is the best pasta to use for this soup. While some people just throw it in the soup to cook, I don't 

Instead, I go ahead and cook it separately so that it own't absorb all my soup broth I just worked so hard to make! 

Ta-da! Like magic, you have a nice, hearty soup that tastes great! 

Top it with a little bit of parmesan cheese and you're in heaven! 

You Will Need:

5 slices of bacon, cut up

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, diced

2 celery stalks, chopped

19 oz can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

2 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only) 

dash of dried rosemary 

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

15 oz can plum tomatoes, sliced 

1 cup dintalini pasta 

1/2 teaspoon celery salt 

1 tablespoon butter, to finish 

Method:

Add your butter and olive oil to a pan. Melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the minced garlic and bacon. Cook until bacon is done to your liking--not too crispy! I like mine a bit soft, but that is just me. 

Next, add in your onions, celery, and carrots. Cook and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are becoming translucent. 

Add the tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and beans. Stir and then add in the broth, stock, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook for at least an hour, if not more. 

Side note: I like to let my soups really go and go. I'll start a soup at noon and serve it at 7pm. Sometimes I will make soup an entire day ahead of time and reheat it on the stove the next day. Soup is versatile like that! 

Before you are ready to serve the soup, (and this is the great trick to the pasta y fagioli soup) you want to remove a cup of the broth and veggies, and place it in a food processor. Process the mixture until it is creamy and smooth and then add it back to the pot. It makes the soup creamier and SO yummy! This is the time where I also add my last tablespoon of butter to the pot, as well as some celery salt.

Next, boil your pasta in a separate pot (so you won't lose that great broth!) according to the manufacturers directions. Once it's done, add the pasts to the bottom of the bowl and ladle the soup on top.

Top with some parmesan cheese and enjoy with some crusty bread!