Pasta E Fagioli

I tried a new recipe tonight and it was fantastic. It was from Giada's Family Dinners cookbook written by Giada de Laurentiis. She is a popular chef on the Food Network.

4 sprigs of fresh thyme (may use dry, I did)
1 large fresh rosemary sprig (may use dry, I did)
1 bay leaf
1 T. olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 oz. pancetta or bacon, chopped (I used bacon)
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 3/4 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 14.5-oz. cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup elbow macaroni
Fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 T. olive oil

1. Wrap thyme, rosemary and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine. (I didn't have cheesecloth so I used a coffee filter and tied it with a twistie tie).

2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta/bacon and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes

3. Add the broth, beans and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet.

4. In a blender, puree 1 cup of the bean mixture until smooth, then return the puree to the saucepan. Cover and return the soup to boil over the high heat.

5. Add the macaroni, cover and boil, stirring occasionally until the macaroni is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season the soup with pepper.

6. Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with extra-virgin oilive oil.

Pasta E Fagioli

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