Sausage Pasta Fazool

1. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high flame.
2. Add Italian sausage to the skillet and break into piece; cook for around 5 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to a medium and add onion and celery to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
4. Add dry pasta to the skillet, stir and cook for 2 more minutes.
5. Add tomato paste to the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes then add broth. Raise the heat to a high and let the soup simmer.
6. Season sauce with pepper, salt, red chili flakes and oregano and the soup come to boil.
7. Reduce the heat back to a medium and let the soup simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.
8. Wash and drain the chard and add to the soup, cook for 2-3 minutes or until the leaves all wilt.
9. Add beans to the soup and keep stirring for another 4-5 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through.
10. Remove from stove, mix in parmesan and serve hot.

Trivia

• Like many other dishes in Italy, Pasta e Fagioli originated during the Roman Empire as a peasant dish. The simplicity and price of the ingredients used in the recipe were considered too lowly for the royal and rich people, and were used to make food for the household’s workers and peasants.

Pasta e Fagioli is considered as one of the most “traditional” dishes in the Italian cuisine. Every region across Italy has its own version of the original soup.