Holiday Party Recipes: Pasta Fagioli Soup

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It’s been a little chilly around here!  Two weeks in a row we’ve had cold snaps that have put our temperatures down to 40 or 50 degrees.  Granted, that doesn’t sound low for many places in the country, but for South Florida, that’s a serious cold snap.  Naturally, these low temperatures have caused me to go scrambling for sweaters, jackets, extra blankets, and – my favorite of all – soups!  I just love curling up with a bowl of soup at the end of a chilly day.  And one of my absolute favorite soup recipes is this one for Pasta Fagioli.   Although normally reserved as one of my holiday party recipes (it’s already on the menu for our holiday gathering with Santa in 2 weeks), you don’t need to have a party to enjoy it’s savory flavor.

Besides lots of fresh vegetables, the key to this recipe is Tabasco Original Red.  Surprised?  Trust me, I’ve tried making this soup without it, and it’s just not the same.  The full flavored Tabasco Original Red brings out and enhances the other ingredients, culminating in the perfect soup.  It’s absolutely mouthwatering and will leave you going back for seconds…and thirds.  Lucky for me, husband loves Tabasco sauce, so we just about always have Tabasco Original Red on hand, along with the other Tabasco flavored varieties (Green Jalapeño Pepper and Chipotle flavored sauces).  I typically reserve this as one of my holiday party recipes or dinner party recipes because it makes a lot of soup – perfect for large groups – although you could always try cutting the ingredients to make less if you’re on your own.  One bite of this Pasta Fagioli soup and it’s sure to become one of your favorite recipes too!

You will need:
2 lb. ground beef
3/4 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
3/4 cup stalks celery, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained (28 oz.)
1 can red kidney beans, drained (16 oz.)
1 can white kidney beans, drained (16 oz.)
4 cups beef stock
3 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. pepper
4 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. Tabasco Original Red
1 jar traditional spaghetti sauce (approx. 20 oz.)
1 lb. Ditali pasta (I used Ditali pasta, but Rotini also works well for this recipe)

Step 1 – Brown ground beef in a large pan.  Once fully browned, drain, and place meat in the bottom of a large crock pot.

Step 2 – Add all ingredients except the pasta into a large crock pot.  Stir well (this is really, really important or the pepper will become concentrated in one area).  Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours.

Step 3 – Cook pasta according to instructions on the package and drain.  Add pasta into ingredients already in the crock pot and stir well.

Step 4 – Add pasta to soup and cook for an additional 30 minutes.  Serve hot!

If you’re looking to add a bit more flavor to your holiday gathering, make sure to pick up Tabasco Original Red, Green Jalapeño Pepper, and Chipotle sauces at your local Walmart. 

Enjoy!