PASTA GARDEN RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef until no pink remains.
• Add onion, celery, and minced garlic to the pot and continue cooking over medium heat until onions are soft. (If there is not enough fat in the pan from cooking the ground beef, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to aid in sauteeing the vegetables.)
• Drain the meat and vegetables of any excess fat.
• Add the carrots, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and Italian seasoning to the mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
• Once the soup has simmered at least 15 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the cooked pasta.
• Serve with fresh herbs for garnish.
• Use diced tomatoes with jalapenos or chiles for a little spice in the soup.
• You can substitute chicken broth or even water for the beef broth, but I like the richness from the beef broth.
• If the soup is too acidic, add a teaspoon of granulated sugar.
• Add salt and pepper as needed to season.
• This is a nice, thick soup - almost chili consistency. You can add more broth if you’d like a runnier soup, but it’s really great as a thick, hearty soup.
• Try ground sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken instead of the ground beef!
• Cooking the pasta separately allows you to adjust how much much pasta you’re adding without losing any of the liquid content and it also prevents the noodles from becoming soggy in the soup.
• Store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Steps:

• "01. In a pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well and set aside 02. Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Ass Italian sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 3 - 5 minute, making sure sto crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat and sset aside. 03. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the stock pot. Stir in garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 - 4 minutes. 04. Whisk in chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, Italian sausage and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 - 15 minutes. 05. Stir in pasta and beans and continue cooking until heated through. 06. Serve immediately."