Pasta e Fagioli

This one comes with a bit of a funny story. When we left MN, we anticipated being on the road for a long time and space was very limited. We got rid of most everything - including most of our kitchen stuff. We kept one small fry pan and one small pot (2qt). I didn't think much of it when I began making this recipe, but when I still hadn't added the pasta, I was in some trouble. I had to get a little creative. It was humorous (at least to me). I had to try to divide the partially cooked ingredients between a bowl and the pot and hope I got it divided evenly. It was a mess! :-)

The end result was really tasty, though. This comes even Jeff-approved. Don't forget the salt and pepper!

Ingredients:

• 2T olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15.5-oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• Salt and black pepper
• 8 oz elbow macaroni or other small pasta
• 1 tsp dried parsley

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the tomatoes. Add the beans, oregano, basil, bay leaf, stock, and salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.

2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the macaroni over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain well and add to the bean mixture along with the parsley.

3. Simmer gently to blend flavors and finish cooking the pasta, about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary, before serving. Serve hot.

Recipe credit: Pasta e Fagioli. Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson. Pg 64.