Italian Pasta & Bean Soup

I love the Pasta E Fagioli soup at Olive Garden. So, the last time I had it, I got out a pen an paper and made some notes to help me try to make it at home. This is what I came up with, I hope you like it!

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
Salt & Pepper
2 medium carrots - diced
1 stalk of celery - diced
1 medium onion - diced
5 medium cloves of garlic - minced
1 can 15 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 box 32 oz beef stock
1 can 15 oz small white beans - drained
1 can 15 oz kidney beans- drained
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (if you like it zesty add some more)
1 tsp dry oregano
1/2 cup small elbow pasta
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Garlic bread for serving

*In a large soup pot, heat olive oil for about a minute over medium heat. Add ground beef to the pot and cook for a few minutes breaking up with a wooden spoon. When beef is about half cooked, season with salt and pepper; add the carrots, celery and onion. Cook until veggies are slightly soft and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute more. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the tomatoes, beef stock, beans, red pepper flakes and basil. When the soup comes to a slight boil; reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes stirring occasionally. Then add the pasta and simmer for about 7 minutes more. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper to taste. Top with fresh grated Parmesan. Serve with garlic bread.

~Serves 6

Vegetable Minestrone with White Beans

This soup is delicious and really healthy. Sometimes I make a pot and just reheat it by the bowl full all week for lunch.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion - small dice
2 large carrots - large dice
2 celery stalks - sliced lengthwise and small diced
1 tsp salt
5 cloves of garlic - minced
1 can 14 oz of stewed tomatoes
1 32 oz box of chicken stock (or use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian)
2 cans 15 oz each of great northern beans (any small white bean is fine)
About 8 turns of fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp dry thyme
1 small bunch of kale, about 3 loose cups full - torn in small pieces and rinsed well.

*Add olive oil to a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and salt. Saute over medium low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Until veggies are tender. Add garlic and stewed tomatoes to the pot and cook for about 3 minutes breaking the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon. Add stock and beans with their liquid to the pot. Stir in the black pepper, red pepper and thyme. Cook at a low simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the kale and simmer for 15 minutes more. Adjust salt to taste and serve.

~Serves 6

Rustic Beef Stew

Perfect comfort on a snowy day.

1 lb beef stew meat or trimmed and diced beef rib meat
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup of red wine - I like to use a California Pinot noir - nothing too pricy, it just needs to taste good
4 or 5 - 14 oz cans of beef stock or broth - See note
1 - 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 large yellow onions - diced
2 large carrots - diced
4 medium potatoes - diced
2 celery ribs diced
4 cloves of garlic - minced
1 tsp dry thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
8 oz of fresh sliced mushrooms
Salt & pepper to taste

*Toss beef and flour together in a large bowl until beef is coated. Heat a heavy large soup pot over medium heat with the oil in it. Add beef to pan and lightly season with salt and pepper. Brown meat on all sides. Deglaze pan using wine and 2 cans of beef stock. Be sure to scrape all of the flavorful brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes to cook the alcohol flavor out of the wine. If this gets too thick you can add up to another can of stock a little at a time during this 15 minutes. Next, add another can of beef stock, the tomato paste, onion, carrots, potatoes, celery, garlic, thyme, bay and red pepper flakes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for one hour. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 30 minutes more. Remove the bay leaves. Serve.

~Note: have 5 cans of broth handy. I just add it a little at a time when it gets too thick for my taste. This is supposed to be a nice thick stew. Just make it as thick as you like it.

Serves 6-8

Spicy Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

If you like the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden, try this recipe I think it's pretty darn close.

6 links of hot Italian sausage - casings removed
1 small white onion - diced
4 cloves of garlic - minced
3 medium russet potatoes - scrubbed and quartered lengthwise, then sliced thin crosswise
3 - 14 oz cans of chicken broth
Kale - stems removed and shredded into thin ribbons about 2 cups
2 cups of 1 percent milk
Freshly grated Parmesan
Salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste

*Over medium heat in a large stock pot, cook sausage links while breaking up with a wooden spoon or spatula. When sausage is about half done add the onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent add the garlic and cook about a minute longer. De-glaze the sausage and onion mixture with the chicken broth. Be sure to scrape all of the nice brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes. Add kale and simmer for 10 minutes more. Add milk and heat thoroughly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. I like to add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes at the end because I like it spicy. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6