PASTA E FAGIOLI

Pasta e Fagioli image

It's hard to believe just how deliciously hearty our pasta fagioli becomes with just a few ingredients, and a loving touch. It's a meal that goes straight to the heart, after doing a delicious dance across your satisfied tastebuds. Bring a taste of Italy into your home with this pasta fagioli recipe. Pureeing a portion of the beans gives the soup creamy texture without added fat or calories. So there's nothing not to love when it comes to this weekday winner, pasta e fagioli!

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories Entree

Time 45m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 cups Progresso™ reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
3/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cans (15 oz each) Progresso™ cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage, browned and drained
Grated Parmesan cheese, fresh thyme and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired

Steps:

In 5-quart stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer, stirring frequently.
Add thyme, rosemary and 3 1/2 cups of the chicken broth. Heat to boiling. Add macaroni; boil 5 to 7 minutes or until macaroni is almost tender but retains a bit of bite.
In blender, blend remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 can of the beans and the tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Add mixture to stockpot along with remaining can of beans and the sausage. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors and heat through.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with remaining ingredients.
Freezer Directions: Make as directed through step 3, but do not simmer 10 minutes to heat through. Ladle soup mixture into quart-size resealable plastic freezer bags; let out any excess air, and seal. Place bags flat in freezer. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Place in 5-quart stockpot, and reheat over medium heat until heated through.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 360, Carbohydrate 48 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Fat 1, Fiber 8 g, Protein 17 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 1240 mg, Sugar 2 g, TransFat 0 g