Homemade Pasta Fagioli

I grew up in an Italian family. We had so many recipes that have become heavy staples in my own home including our pasta sauce and Italian dressing. You might remember my Meatball Sub Sandwich recipe from earlier in the year and those are our family recipe meatballs, minus the Parmesan cheese which I miss! So I keep asking my great aunts and grandfather for specific recipes and was finally able to track one down. The pasta fagioli recipe (pronounced "fazul") The hubby loves the Olive Garden version, but I remember it being slightly different and wanted to try our own recipe before attempting the O.G. knock offs on Pinterest. He was on board and helped me out with making it.....well he cut the veggies and then got a call to run to work really fast.

What You'll Need:
1lb Ground Beef
1/2 an Onion (chopped small)
3 Stalks of Celery (chopped small)
Carrots (chopped small) - 2 handfuls baby carrots
6 cloves garlic Minced
(1) 16 oz Can Tomato Sauce
(2)  16 oz Can White Beans (If you can find Cannellini or Great Northern Beans that is preferred)
(1) tbsp Oregano
(1) tbsp Garlic Powder
Pinch of Pepper
1lb of Small Elbow Macaroni
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Brown your ground beef until cooked and drain fat. Chop all your veggies small.

2. In a large stock pot begin to boil your water for your pasta

3. In a separate stock pot, pour about four tbs olive oil in the bottom of your pan. Add your minced garlic and saute until brown. Add in your veggies and saute until cooked.

4. Add your 16oz can of tomato sauce and cook on high to bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to medium and add your (2) cans of beans. Then add your garlic powder, oregano and pepper, and ground beef.

6. Increase heat to high and bring to a fast boil for 1 minute. Switch heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. If your sauce isn't juicy enough you can add water from your pasta pot.

7. While simmering finish cooking your elbow pasta until al dente.

8. This is where there was an oops.....I remember everything being mixed together (like goulash) so I added my cooked pasta into the sauce and mixed it together. I guess you are supposed to just add the amount of pasta you would like for your sauce, for it to be more like a stew/soup. Either way works and tastes just as good. Just pick how you would like it dished up. Remember that the pasta is going to absorb a lot of the juice from the sauce.

Another tip straight from the hubby.....if you cry a lot while chopping onions, then just utilize your swimming googles to help with the sting! Haha. I was giggling when he put these on, but was glad that we were cooking together!

The couple that cooks together, stays together.

Even though it wasn't the same as his favorite O.G. soup, he still went back for seconds and we have plenty left over for lunches.

Always remember that with any spice you should adjust to your own taste. I added more pepper and might adjust the other spices the next time I make it, of course I could add to it as well!.