Pasta e Fagioli

Y'all, it has been crazy town around here. 

Between Thanksgiving preparations, work commitments, and building the new site (it's coming soon, I promise!), we have been in a whirlwind of busyness the last few weeks. 

In seasons of busyness, we're always tempted to eat out more often. It just seems to make sense. Swing by after work, pick something up, and you don't have to worry about what's in the pantry or how many dishes dinner preparation might generate. 

But in the end, eating out doesn't really do our bodies or our schedules any good. A heavy fast food meal leaves us more tired and energy-less than before. 

Not to mention what it does to our budget. As our wallets get smaller and smaller, our waistlines get bigger and bigger. It's not exactly the cycle we want to be in as we head into the season of gift-buying and food-eating. 

Thank God there's soup. 

Giant pots of soup filled with all the veggies, protein, and carbs you need to fuel a busy evening. 

Pots so full of soup they can feed you for several nights in a row. So you don't even have to worry about cooking on those other nights.

Good soup starts with some good root veggies. See all the health in that pot?

This soup is so flavorful. It's like comfort in a bowl. Carrots, onions, celery, sausage, tomatoes, spinach, beans, and pasta all swimming in a rich, savory broth. It's incredibly satisfying, but won't weigh you down. 

And the best part? It can be made in about 35 minutes. Dinner for 4 days--done in 35 minutes. 

Everything you need for a balanced meal all in this pot. That means you only have to wash one pot, 2 bowls, and 2 spoons. Win. 

Does anything about the above picture seem off to you? Like perhaps the fact that this soup is about to overflow out of the pot? For some reason, I underestimate the size pot I need for this every. single. time. Learn from my mistake and use a giant pot!

One other note: If you plan to serve this throughout the week, I would cook the noodles separately and add them to the soup just before serving rather than storing them in the soup. That way, you'll have nice al dente noodles in your soup every night, rather than mushy gross noodles. 

Here's hoping you and your family will find strength, rest, and good pots of soup even in the midst of crazy town!

Pasta E Fagioli
Serves 8
Recipe by Bake. Eat. Repeat.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can green chilies
1 15 oz. can pinto or white beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
2 cups medium pasta shells, cooked until al dente

Directions:
In a large pot, cook sausage, onion, carrots, and celery over medium heat until sausage is browned. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth and water and cook over medium heat until carrots are tender, about 5-7 additional minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta shells according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

Once carrots are tender, stir tomatoes, chilies, and beans into soup mixture. Heat through. Stir in spinach and allow to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you're planning to eat the soup right away, you can go ahead and stir the cooked pasta in here. However, if you plan to have leftovers, keep the pasta separate and follow the directions below (this keeps the pasta from becoming soggy).

To serve, spoon about a half cup cooked pasta shells into bowls then ladle soup mixture over top. Sprinkle with chopped basil and fresh Parmesan, if desired.