Bean Soup with Pasta (Pasta e Fagioli)

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 8 ounces dried great northern or navy beans (1 1/4 cups)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped, or 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 medium stalks celery, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 pound salt pork, chopped
• 2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup uncooked macaroni (shells, bows or elbow macaroni)
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat water and beans to boiling in a Dutch oven; boil for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Add onion, tomato, celery, garlic, salt pork, bouillon, salt and pepper to beans. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours. Do not boil beans as they will burst.
4. Skim fat if necessary.
5. Stir macaroni into soup. Cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with cheese.

Attribution

Photo credit: lrosa / CC BY