Pasta E Fagioli - {Italian}

Recipe Ingredients

2 tablespoons	30ml	Olive oil
2		Onions - thickly sliced
2		Carrots - thickly sliced
		On a diagonal
1		Red pepper, hot or sweet - thinly sliced
1/2 lb	227g / 8oz	Smoked ham - cut into julienne
3 tablespoons	45ml	Chopped fresh basil
		(or 1 tbspn basil pesto)
4		Garlic cloves - minced
1/4 teaspoon	1.3ml	Oregano
1/4 teaspoon	1.3ml	Mint
1		Tomatoes - (15 oz)
6 cups	1422ml	Chicken stock
2		Dark red kidney beans - (16 oz ea)
2 1/2 cups	592ml	Small rotelle pasta
		Salt - to taste
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
1/2 cup	118ml	Mushrooms
1/4 cup	10g / 0.4oz	Shredded basil leaves
		(or parsley, if you can't get fresh basil)
		Garnish
1		Green onions - sliced thinly
		On the diagonal
		Olive oil
		Grated Parmesan cheese

Recipe Instructions

In a large saucepan, fry the onions, carrots, and peppers in the oil over medium heat -- until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the ham, basil or pesto, garlic, oregano, and mint. Stir for a few minutes, then add the drained tomatoes (reserving juice). Cook at a fairly high heat, stirring, until the mixture is a thick sauce, crushing the tomatoes with the spoon as they cook. This always takes longer than you think -- as much as 10 minutes.

Add the reserved tomato juice, stock, and kidney beans, with or without their sauce, your choice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. At this point, you can refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

When ready to serve, degrease the soup and return it to a boil. Add the pasta and boil gently until it is al dente -- about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the mushrooms, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Then stir in the shredded basil or parsley, ladle into bowls, garnish with the green onions and a drizzle of olive oil. Pass the Parmesan separately.

Source:
Soup Of The Evening...Beautiful Soup at http://www.soupsong.com

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