Pasta e Fagioli

Step 1

Chop the bacon into smaller pieces and place them in a large pot with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Fry on medium heat until the bacon is brown and crispy (around 10 minutes).

Step 2

While the bacon is frying, finely dice the onion, carrots, and celery; and mince the garlic.

Step 3

Remove half of the cooked bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving behind the rest of the meat and any rendered fat in the pot.

Step 4

Add the finely diced onions, carrots, celery, minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot. Saute the vegetables on medium-high heat until they are softened (around 6 minutes).

Step 5

Add the white beans, canned tomatoes (with juices), water, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir everything to combine, then bring the soup up to a boil. Once boiling, let it cook for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.

Step 6

Add the pasta to the soup and cook, uncovered, according to the package directions, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Step 7

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. If the broth has reduced too much (the pasta will absorb a lot of the flavorful broth as it cooks), add another ½ cup of water, taste it, and adjust the seasonings again if needed.

Step 8

Serve Pasta e Fagioli in bowls topped with the reserved bacon, chopped parsley, grated parmesa cheese, fresh-cracked black pepper, , and a side of warm, crusty bread.