Donna’s Pasta e Fagioli

This is a traditional Mediterranean pasta and bean soup — tastes so good with just the right mix of Italian seasonings.

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, tops removed, sliced

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups low fat chicken broth

1/4 cup red wine

15 ounces canned white beans, undrained

15 ounces canned red kidney beans, undrained

14 ounces canned diced Italian tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 cup dried ditalini or small shell pasta

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add onions, celery and carrots. Cook over low heat for 5 – 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute. Do not brown any of the vegetables. The celery and carrots will still be firm.

Add broth, wine, white beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, bay leaf, basil and oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta and parsley and cook until the pasta is just cooked. Add extra broth if soup is too thick. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve in warmed pasta bowls with generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 8

Nutritional Information per serving:

Calories 250

Fat, gm. 5

Protein, gm. 18

Carb. gm. 34

Cholesterol, mg. 10

Fiber, gm 8.8

Recipe reprinted from Magic Spices Cookbook – available from Donna