Recipe - Pasta Fagioli (Pasta And Bean Soup)

1 pound Northern white beans; soak
overnight
One half cup Onion; chopped
1/3 cup Olive oil
2/3 cup Celery; chopped
Three fourths pound Ham
1 One half teaspoon Basil
3 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 4 garilc clove; minced
1 One half teaspoon Black pepper
7 ounce Small shells pasta

In a shallow pan, cover 1 pound Northern white beans with cold water by 2
inches above beans. Let sit overnight. Next day: Drain and rinse beans.
Cover with cold water again in a pot, which can be used on the stove top
and in the oven. Bring to a moderate boil on stove top. Then place in a
preheated oven at 325 degrees for 1 hour, covered. Keep in liquid until
ready to use. In large pot saute One half cup chopped onions in 1/3 cup olive
oil until pale yellow, on medium heat. Add: 2/3 c. chopped celery, Three fourths lb.
chopped ham. Cook for 10 minutes. Then add: Cook on medium low heat for
2025 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of the beans (to mash) and add rest of beans
to vegetable mixture. Cook for 5 minutes. Then add: Bring to a boil. Mash
the 2 cups of beans and then add this to the soup with: 1 One half tsp. basil, 3
tsp. Italian seasoning, 34 cloves garlic (or 1 One half tsp. minced garlic), 1
One half tsp. black pepper. When soup boils add 7 ounce package of small salad
shells until al dente (it still has a "bite" to it, not too soft). Serve in
bowls along with a salad and garlic bread for dinner or alone with crackers
for luncheon. This can be frozen.

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #238

Date: Wed, 09 Oct 1996 12:28:00 EDT

From: coloradopegg@juno.com (peggy g seevers)