Pasta e Fagioli

I found this recipe on pinterest and it looked so good that I had to try it. And it is just as good as I thought it would be! I made it for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. I served it with my Artisan bread and it was fantastic. Perfect for a cold day. And it was a great dinner to celebrate my new job with. :) I just got hired today as the Assistant Director for Crestview Elementary School's after-school program. :) Hooray! I'm so excited! Anyways, here is the recipe. (It is from Olive Garden so you know it has to be good.)

Ingredients:

•  1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced (I only used 1 clove but that's because I'm not a garlic fan and it was great)
• 1 quart of tomatoes (or 2 14.5-oz. diced tomatoes)
• 1 15-oz. can red kidney beans (w/ liquid)
• 1 15-oz. can Great Northern Beans (w/liquid)
• 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 lb. Ditali pasta

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a large stock pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat.
2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; saute for 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often.
4. At 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta according to the package directions; until al dente.
5. Drain the pasta and add to the pot of soup.
6. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

It was easy and incredibly delicious. I was going to do it in the crockpot but my husband had an appointment at 8 and needed to eat early so I did it this way. I'm sure it would be good though and take less time. Try it out! 

(http://farmgirlinthesuburbs.blogspot.com/2011/02/pasta-e-fagioli.html)