Pasta
e Fagiole
By Angela Amison
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1/4 lb bacon or pancetta, chopped
1 lb ground beef
2 onions, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped very fine
4 cups chicken or turkey stock, homemade if available
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 (19 oz) cans cannelline beans, well drained, divided
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, well drained
1 (14oz) can tomatoes, seeded and chopped, liquid drained
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp dried ground thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 cups (12oz) detolini or other tubular pasta
1 cup cooked orzo
1 carrot, shredded
Parmigiana, as a garnish
chopped basil as a garnish
Place a large, heavy soup pot, over medium heat. Cook the sausage
links with a small amount of water, covered, until the sausage has
browned , about 10 minutes. Remove sausage to a plate and let
cool. Once cooled, chop into pieces and then use a food processor
to finely ground the sausage pieces. Brown the bacon/pancetta in
the same pot as used for the sausage links, using a little olive oil if
necessary. When the bacon/pancetta is browned, not crisped, add
back to the pot the chopped sausage and ground beef and cook until both
have browned, about 15 minutes.
Next, add the onions, celery, and garlic, cook five minutes, stirring
constantly. Add the stock and skim to remove excess fat.
Continue to cook at a simmer, for about 10-15 minutes. In a food
processor, blend tomato sauce with 1 cup cannellini beans until
smooth. Pour the mixture into the pot then add the remaining
cannellini beans, kidney beans, tomatoes and herbs. After 5
minutes, add the pasta and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the orzo
and carrots and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add more
water or stock if necessary to produce a thick stew like
consistency. Serve with grated parmigiana and chopped
basil. Yield: 8 servings