Pasta Fagioli

1. Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven. Heat over medium-high heat.
2. Add the ground beef to the hot pot and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with your spoon.
3. When the meat starts to brown, add in the chopped onions and carrots.
4. When the meat is fully cooked and the veggies are soft, add in the minced garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes.
5. Add the canned tomatoes, with all of their juices. You can use whole or diced, whatever is in the pantry. Just remember to break up the whole ones with the back of your spoon if that’s what you’re using!
5. Add in the tomato sauce, beef broth, beef bouillon cube, garlic powder and Italian seasonings. Stir to combine.
6. If you are using a Parmesan rind, add this in now too. I hope you have not been throwing these away! After I’ve grated all the cheese that I can from a chunk of Parmesan Reggiano Cheese, I freeze the rind. You can pull one out and pop it into soups or veggies- anything that you want to add a deliciously subtle, salty and Parmesany flavor to. (If you don’t have time to let the soup simmer for an hour or so, don’t use the rind, save it for another use.)
7. If you have a while to let the soup simmer, turn the heat down and let it simmer on low as long as you can. The longer you cook the soup, the better it will taste. If you don’t have hours to let it simmer, go ahead and add in the drained can of beans. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for 30-45 minutes. I usually simmer my soup, covered on low for 2-3 hours, add the beans and then simmer for another hour. If you add the beans too soon, they will be mushy.
8. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions and once done, drain.
9. Add the fresh spinach to the soup and stir.
10. Check your seasonings, add salt and pepper if needed.
11. Add in the dashes of hot sauce and stir. Even if you don’t like spicy food, try it. It adds a bit of warmth to the soup without being too spicy. If you like the heat, feel free to add more!
12. To serve, add some of the pasta to a bowl, ladle soup over it and top with freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano Cheese.
13. Enjoy!!

Note: My Parmesan rind has usually disintegrated into the soup but if yours hasn’t remove before serving.