Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium)
- 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
- 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
- 3 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (14.5 oz.) cans low sodium chicken broth or beef broth (I used an entire 32 oz. container.)
- 1/2 cup water, then more as desired
- 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp. granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 scant cup dry ditalini pasta
- 1 (15 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz.) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- Finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for serving
- 3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley, optional
Directions:
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, crumble in ground beef or sausage and cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
- Drain fat from beef then transfer beef to a plate, set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in same pot.
- Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium-high heat until tender about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
- Add chicken/beef broth, tomato sauce, water, canned tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, and cooked beef then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 15 - 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate sauce pan, prepare ditalani pasta according to directions on package, cooking to al dente.
- Add cooked and drained pasta to soup, along with kidney beans and great northern beans. Thin with a little more broth or water if desired. Over time, pasta will soak up liquid.
- Allow to cook 1 minute longer. Stir in optional parsley, and serve warm with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.*www.cookingclassy.com