Healthier Version Pasta Fagioli Soup from Olive Garden

Pasta Fagioli Soup

I really love soup! There is just something about fall weather or should I say winter, I guess it is winter now. And soup is just easy. It takes just a few ingredients to feed a lot of people. I love that about soup! I may even have a soup addiction. My kids are like, "chili! Again??? Nooooo". Then when they taste it they realize it's different and they love it. This was a recipe I saw floating through facebook for the copycat version of Olive Garden's Pasta Fagioli Soup. I decided to modify it so it would be heart healthy, have less saturated fat, less sodium and be healthier over all because I would bet their soup has some preservatives in it! Get your kids involved in the chopping and it makes the recipe that much easier! 

lngredients:

1.5 lb ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped

1 tsp chopped garlic
2 -28 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Cup Tomato Puree (Used a large can and saved the rest in the freezer)
1 can dark red kidney beans, undrained
1 can white kidney beans (Cannellini) , undrained
1 Carton beef stock
1Tbsp oregano

1 tbsp basil

About ¼ tsp sugar (optional)
1 ¼ teaspoons black ground pepper
1 Tbsp teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or hot sauce
1 heaping cup small whole wheat pasta like ditalini

Directions: 

Brown turkey in a skillet with celery, onions, carrots. Once browned add garlic and sauté for a few more minutes. Add in remaining ingredients EXCEPT pasta. Simmer for 20-30 minutes on med-low. Add in pasta and cook for about 6-10 minutes. 

*Remember the pasta will continue to cook when you turn off the heat. 

Serve with fresh grated Parmesan on top.