Pasta e Fagioli literally means pasta with beans, so in that sense that's exactly what this is. If you came here looking for the Olive Garden soup, you've come to the wrong website. This is pretty amazing, though. I took all the basic ingredients of standard Italian pasta e fagioli and swapped them with things I had on hand. Doing this, I was able to make eight servings for less than two dollars. Even having to buy some of the things I already had on hand, minus the spices, you'd spend less than four dollars. Did I mention this is a great recipe?
INGREDIENTS:
4 Tbsp. butter
1 small red onion, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1 can (5 oz.) great northern beans, flavored with sausage
1 pkg (12 oz.) extra wide egg noodles
1 pkg (0.87 oz.) brown gravy mix
8 cups water
Red pepper flakes, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter in a large skillet. Cook onion, garlic, and herbs until onion is translucent. Add in beans (juice and all) and mix well. Pour in pasta and water, then sprinkle over red pepper flakes and gravy mix, stirring gently until combined. Taste the sauce. If it's too salty add a little bit of sugar to balance it out, but not so much that you can taste the sweetness. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until noodles are cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
That's it. Less than half an hour from beginning to end and less than four dollars out of your budget. You'll notice I took out the tomato base because tomatoes give me wicked heartburn. Next time I may add sliced sausage or diced carrots just for a little more texture. All in all, though, it's one of my favorite things I've made in a while. Now, go forth and eat. :-)
