Pasta e Fagioli Soup with Sausage ___

Pasta e Fagioli Soup with Sausage

Ingredients

For the Soup:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 small onion, cut into a 1/4 inch dice
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 10 cups chicken broth
  • 14 ounces crushed tomatoes, about half a can
  • 15 ounces Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 6 ounces elbow pasta
  • Crusty Italian bread and grated cheese for serving

Directions

Put a large stockpot over a medium-high flame and heat the oil.

Add the sausage to the pot and cook until evenly browned, about 7 minutes.

Add in the onion, garlic, celery and bay leaves. Cook while stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the broth to the pot, taking care to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom with your wooden spoon. Stir in the tomatoes and beans.

Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is 1-2 minutes shy of al dente (the pasta will continue to cook slightly in the soup so you don’t want to cook it too long)

Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty Italian bread and a generous sprinkle of grated cheese.