Pasta and Bean Soup

Italian pasta e fagioli is a hearty combination of pasta and bean. Try other dried beans and pasta shapes. This version is meatless; about 300 cals, 12 g fat (MasterCook III) Carefully pick over the beans to remove any shriveled beans and foreign matter. Rinse, cover with cold water, and soak overnight. Drain and aside. In a soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until soft, abour 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, and rosemary and saute 1 minute longer. Add the bay leaves, drained beans, and enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 1/2 hours. In a skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta or ham, carrot, and fennel, if using and saute until the pancetta is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the meat to the beans. Stir in the tomato, parsley, and broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the beans are very tender, about 1 hour longer; add more liquid if necessary to keep the beans covered during cooking. About 20 minutes before the soup is ready to serve, increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil. Stir in the macaroni and cook until al dente. Just before serving, stir in the minced basil or fennel greens. Ladle the soup into preheated bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garnish with basil or fennel sprigs. Pass additional cheese at the table. Alternatively, pour the soup into a container and refrigerate, uncovered until cool, then tightly cover and store for up to 3 days. Slowly reheat by adding herbs, cheese, and garnish. [patH 01 Oct 96] Recipe By : adapted from James McNairs Soups (c) 1990 Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #238 Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 11:41:19 -0700 (PDT) From: patH <phannema@wizard.ucr.edu>