Pasta e Fagioli

This is pretty darn close to the Olive Garden recipe. It's delicious! You can cut this recipe in half unless you are feeding a ton of people. -Claire

1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups carrots, julienned
2 cups chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
4 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 15-oz. cans red kidney beans (with liquid)
2 15 oz. cans great northern beans (with liquid)
2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 46 oz. bottle of V-8 juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 pound ditali pasta
1 14 oz. can beef broth
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large stock pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.

Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes 

Add all remaining ingredients except pasta, beef broth and Parmesan cheese, and simmer for 1 hour. 

At some point while soup is simmering, cook the pasta in a separate pot of boiling water over high heat. Cook for about 7 minutes. Drain and place in bowl with beef broth to keep pasta from sticking together. Pasta will absorb most of the liquid. 

Before serving, add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more. 

Serve sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

Serves 16