Pasta E. Fagioli {the soup}

1/2 pound lean ground beef
3/4 tsp olive oil
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/4 of a bag of baby carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
1 24 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can drained red kidney beans
2 cans beef stock
3/4 tsp. oregano
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups Ditalini {Salad Macaroni} pasta, cooked and drained


Directions

Brown the ground beef in the oil in a skillet, until crumbly. Stir in carrots, onions, celery, and undrained tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain the kidney beans, then stir into the beef mixture. Stir in stock, oregano, pepper, parsley, and Tabasco sauce. Simmer for 45 minutes until celery and carrots are tender. Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta.


Serving Suggestions

bread sticks, in a bread bowl, with crumbly bread, or even just cheese and crackers.

FYI: I have done this in the slow cooker. adding everything but the pasta and spaghetti sauce and letting it cook 4-6 hours on low then adding cooked pasta and spaghetti sauce just before serving.

sidenote: Personally I didn't like it as much when I didn't add all the onion it called for and I like it even better when it's thick and not soupy.  {Add more spaghetti sauce and less broth}