Nonna’s Pasta Fagioli
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 onion, thinly sliced and diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) bottle tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Directions
On the stove-top, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook and stir the ground beef in the skillet until browned and crumbly, about 5-7 minutes.
Drain the skillet, discard the grease, and set the meat aside.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.
Sauté the carrot, celery, and onion until the vegetables are softened, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the tomato-vegetable juice, chicken broth, parsley, basil, oregano, and black pepper, stirring to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Cook the ditalini pasta according to package directions, in salted water, until al dente. Drain the pasta thoroughly.
Stir the cannellini beans and cooked beef into the broth and cook while stirring until heated through, for about 10 minutes.
Add pasta to your preferred serving bowls and ladle the soup on top.
