PASTA E FAGIOLI SOUP THAT KICKS THE OLIVE GARDEN’S ASS ALL THE WAY TO ITALY
One of the very few things that actually tastes good at the Olive Garden is their Pasta e Fagioli soup, which is a bastardization of the traditional Italian tomato based soup with white beans and pasta. The thing the Olive Garden does right is add ground beef, making it hearty and meaty.
My version of this soup combines the Olive Garden idea with traditional Italian cooking for an amazing result. This soup is hearty, tasty and loved by all.
By the way, don’t try the shortcut of using canned white beans. It will suck, I tried it.
Serves 4 hungry people.
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14-ounce canned chopped tomatoes
¼ pound dried white or cannellini beans
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
5 cups beef stock/broth
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
4 ounces very small pasta (tiny macaroni or other forms of very small pasta all work great)
Salt and pepper to taste, as needed while cooking
1 tablespoon olive oil
-------
1. Place the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat and brown the ground beef.
2. Add the celery, onion, garlic and cook for 3 minutes
3. Add the beans, herbs, broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil after mixing well.
4. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered for an hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Check the soup. You are checking a couple of things, flavor first. Add salt and pepper as you see fit. Also, check the tenderness of the white beans. They will probably still be moderately hard at this point, probably requiring another full hour of cooking at this point, checking every 15 minutes for tenderness.
6. When the beans are close to soft, add Tabasco and pasta. Cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the pasta is done.
7. Serve immediately
|
