Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Soup

Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Soup

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion diced 1 cup
1 large carrot julienned 1 cup
3 stalks celery chopped 1 cup
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cans diced tomatoes - 14 1/2 oz ea
1 can red kidney beans - 15 oz with liquid
1 can great northern beans - 15 oz with liquid
1 can tomato sauce 15 oz
1 can V-8 juice - 12 oz
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound ditali pasta - 1/2 pkg (or any short cut pasta)

Preparation
Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saut for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.

Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.

This recipe yields 8 servings.