Pasta E Fagioli

This is modeled after Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli soup that I've been craving. I actually wrote Olive Garden to see what they had on their menu that didn't have any butter or milk products and the response I got was not to eat there. Joy. Well, if nothing else, this milk free diet will surely help our pocketbook AND my waist line, but thats another post.

I grabbed this recipe off some website and changed a few things to suit my tastes, plus I had a zucchini left over from Thanksgiving to use. I am very happy with the way it turned out and will be making this again. The one thing to note is that I cook the pasta separately and add it to the individual bowls. I'll store it in a separate container too - I haven't figured out how to keep it from getting all gummy, so this method works for me!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef
1 C diced onion
1 C grated carrot
1 C diced celery
1 small zucchini, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
29 oz crushed tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans
1 can great northern beans
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1 can chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 lb ditali pasta

DIRECTIONS

Brown meat in a large stock pot, drain off any fat.

Add onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, and garlic - saute about 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for about an hour.

Cook pasta per directions to al dente.

Spoon pasta into bowl and top with soup - enjoy!