Per Angee's request, here is my recipe for leaner Pasta e Fagioli - at least an approximation of it. I don't use a recipe, so feel free to add/substitute as desired!
Ingredients:
2 boxes chicken stock
1 can beef broth
1 lb 99% lean ground turkey breast
1 lb 93% lean ground beef (ground pork works too but is higher in fat)
2 cans white beans
3 cups chopped onions (about 2 large onions)
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (about 3)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 small can sliced olives
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp or more red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
Start by sweating the onions in the oil over low heat in your stock pot. They will become translucent (adding some salt will help the process along) after a few minutes, then add the celery and carrots. Stir and cook for 5 minutes or so over medium heat. Add garlic last, cook for just a minute or so - you don't want it to burn. Crank up the heat, and add stock, broth, beans, tomatoes, and olives.
Now grab your sautee pan and put it on medium heat with just a little but of olive oil. While your pan is heating, add meat and spices to a bowl, take off your rings, and mix it all together. You are essentially making your own sausage, so make sure it is all mixed thoroughly. Move meat mixture to the sautee pan, spreading it out in an even layer. Turn heat to medium-high, and let it sit there until browned on the bottom: a nice caramel color. Be sure you use salt & pepper on both sides - this really brings out all the other flavors. Use your spoon/ spatula to break the sausage up into bite sized pieces. Brown the opposite side, then add to the stock pot. It doesn't need to be cooked through - that will happen in the pot. You may want to drain excess fat off the sausage if you used pork. Finally add the tomato paste, and let it simmer. It is ready to eat at this point, but if you let it simmer on low heat for a bit (even hours), all the flavors will combine more thoroughly.
*Make sure you season every layer by adding a little bit of salt & pepper at every step. More flavorful ingredients make a more flavorful soup. Also feel free to add any additional veggies you have lying around - my last batch included a yellow squash and a zucchini. Yummy!
*I omit the pasta part entirely, but you certainly can add it if you want. I would cook 1/2 pound of pasta according to the directions on the box ahead of time, then add cooked pasta right before serving to prevent it from getting mushy. Again, make sure you salt the pasta water to get maximum flavor!
