I am not a fan of Italian food. There, I said it. I'm that crazy person you find in every group who detests lasagna and doesn't want any sauce on their pizza. On those rare occasions when we go to Olive Garden, this is what I order, along with salad and breadsticks. It's crazy good!
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 cup julienne carrot
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz. diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, with liquid
1 can white kidney beans, with liquid
15 oz. tomato sauce
12 oz. V-8 juice, plus extra as needed
1 tbl. white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 lb. ditalini pasta
Brown ground beef in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes. Transfer to crockpot and add remaining ingredients, except pasta. Cook on low 5 hours. Before serving, cook pasta according to package directions just until al dente and stir into soup. Makes 8 servings.
Notes:
• If soup is too thick, add more V-8 juice until desired consistency is reached.
• Substitute 2 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning for oregano, basil, and thyme, if desired.
• Try adding pasta to serving bowls and ladling soup on top instead of adding pasta directly to soup. This will keep pasta from becoming mushy if leftovers are refrigerated or frozen.
Adapted from: http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Olive-Garden-Pasta-e-Fagioli-Recipe.html
