Pasta e Fagioli

A friend of mine passed on this recipe which turned out to be really delicious. Its that magical combination of delicious and easy... try it! You'll like it!



The stuff:
--1 T olive oil
--6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage (I don't usually eat sausage, but this was a key component of the flavor here. if you veggie-fy it, be sure to amp up the spices, and consider adding some extras, like sage and rosemary)
--1.5 T bottled minced garlic (how easy can you get?)
--2 cups water
--1 (16-ounce) can chicken broth (can use low sodium, fat free)
--1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce (no salt added)
--1 cup uncooked small shell pasta, or other similarly sized pasta, like bows
--.5 cup parmesan cheese
--1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
--1/4 teaspoon salt
--1/4 teaspoon white pepper
--2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained
-- red pepper flakes


What to do with it:
Brown the crumbled sausage and chopped garlic in a very large saucepan, or soup-type pan. Add water, broth, beans, tomato sauce, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. If you happen to be having a glass of red wine while you cook, pour in a slosh or two. Lower and let it simmer for about 40-45 minutes- its going to smell awweeessooommmmeee, you want all the flavors to blend and get to know each other. Stir in pasta, bring this whole thing to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 more minutes or until pasta is done- if you need a bit more water, just add it. Once its done, let settle for 5 minutes and stir in the cheese

You can serve it with a nice salad, or some crusty bread. The hands on cooking time is really minimal, but you get that nice wintery feeling of having something delicious simmering along on the stove, its the absolute perfect thing for a cold winter day!