Pasta Fagioli

This recipe makes a really BIG pot of soup, and tastes like it came straight from Olive Garden. Try it and see!

1# hamburger
Onion
28 oz. diced tomatoes
36 oz. spaghetti sauce
5 C. water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
16 oz. kidney beans
16 oz. northern beans
2 C. julienned carrots
1 C. diced celery
1 C. ditalini pasta (or rings)

Brown hamburger and onion; drain. Stir in tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, water and spices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add beans and vegetables and cook 15-20 minutes. Stir in uncooked pasta, cover and simmer until pasta is done, stirring occasionally. Serves 8-12.

NOTE: I run the tomatoes through the food processor because my kids don't go for "chunky". They also don't go for white beans, so those are processed, too. Creating two whole cups of julienned carrots makes too much work for me, so I just grate them. Grating is also good because then the carrots are too small to be picked out by fussy eaters, but they still get the nourishment from them! Good luck with this! Let me know if you try it!