Pasta Fagioli

Ingredients

• ½ pound Italian sausage, crumbled (or use regular pork sausage and add 1 tsp. Italian seasonings in addition to spices listed below)
• ½ pound lean ground beef, crumbled and cooked, fats drained
• 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 28-ounce can of Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups cooked dark kidney beans, or substitute a 14-ounce can of dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• ½ pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained and reserved
• 2 tablespoons freshly minced Italian parsley (or substitue 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
• Parmesan cheese, shredded (Fresh is best, but you can substitute pre-shredded.)

Directions

1. Sauté the sausage, ground beef, onion, garlic, oregano and thyme in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat until the meats are nicely browned and cooked throughout, crumbling them as they cook; drain any fats that accumulate.
2. Add the tomato paste to the meat mixture and cook over medium heat until the tomato paste has turned from bright red in color to a rather dull, brownish-red color.
3. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, drained and rinsed kidney beans, broth and red pepper flakes; season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Simmer the soup over medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, adding more beef broth if needed, until the soup is a nice consistency.
4. To serve, place the warm cooked penne pasta into serving bowls, topping the pasta with the prepared soup; garnish with Italian parsley and Parmesan.

This recipe was provided courtesy of Kansas Living Magazine through a partnership with Chef Alli. Get more great recipes here.

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