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Pasta & Bean Soup With Sausage (Pasta Fazool): Frank Isernio shows you how to make a fresh, wonderful family meal in minutes!

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Pasta & Bean Soup with Italian Sausage (Pasta e Fagioli or "Pasta Fazool")

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Pasta Fazool “Pasta Fazool” as Italian Americans often lovingly call this classic dish, is the ultimate comfort food. This is traditionally a meatless dish, but it’s delicious with sausage, as a one dish meal. Yes, you can soak dried beans for 24 hours if you have the time, but we find canned Cannellini beans work very well and transform this dish into a quick, satisfying family meal. Make a large portion, because it tastes even better reheated a day or two later.

Shopping List:

4 Isernio’s Italian Sausages or 1 lb. bulk roll (pork or chicken)
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, quartered lengthwise and chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped or pressed
2 tsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped or 1 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 28-oz. can Italian style plum tomatoes, with juice, squeezed by hand or broken up in skillet with a wooden spoon
1 16-oz. can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed in a colander
2 cups low salt chicken broth
1/2 lb. dried Ditalini or Tubetti or other small tubular pasta

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4-6 tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Let's Cook

In a large 13 quart pot, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil and cook sausage over medium heat until brown, but not cooked through completely. Remove sausages, cut into 3/4" slices and set aside.You may also choose to remove the casings, or use Isernio’s bulk sausage, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon and cooking until all pinkness is gone, do not brown. Remove meat from skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet, add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook until soft, 10 -12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Add tomatoes, breaking them up by hand or with a wooden spoon. Add the sausage and chicken broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Stir in beans and cook at medium heat for 10 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
While the soup is cooking, bring 5 qts. of water to a boil. Add 2 Tbsp. salt to boiling water, add the pasta and cook about 8-10 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add to the soup.
Stir in the chopped parsley and ladle soup into bowls, top each with a drizzle of good olive oil and grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Enjoy every last drop of soup with some good crusty Italian bread.