Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat)
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots , diced into small cubes
1 large onion, diced into small cubes
1 stalk celery, diced into small cubes
3 cloves garlic
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
32 oz chicken broth
15 oz canned Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz canned Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup ditalini pasta
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt, adjust to taste
1 tsp black pepper, adjust to taste
2 tbsp fresh basil, (optional)
Instructions
On medium heat, preheat a large pot or dutch oven with oil. Add ground beef and let it brown (3-5 pminutes). As its cooking, be sure to break it apart into small pieces.
Remove cooked beef from the pot. Drain of excess fat and set aside.
In the same pot, add diced carrots, onion, celery and pressed garlic. Saute until the vegetables are softened (about 4 minutes).
Add canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef back to the cooking vegetables in the pot. Stir to combine together.
Add Great Northern and kidney beans to the mix. Pour chicken broth to the pot and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add pasta, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve right away with a sprinkle of basil or parmesan cheese.
