Listen friends, do yourselves a favor. If you’ve never tried pasta fagioli (and the stuff at Olive Garden DOES NOT COUNT), get yourself a couple cans of kidney beans and make this tonight. It’s divine. Zoe would eat it every night if I’d make it for her. It is wholesome Italian comfort food and Giada’s recipe is the best I’ve ever tried.

Ingredients

1 large sprig fresh rosemary (I’m lazy and mostly used dried.)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped onion

3 ounces pancetta, chopped (This is great of you have it, the recipe is just as tasty without.)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

5 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 (14.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup elbow macaroni

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, rosemary, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, and beans. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Puree 1 cup of the bean mixture in a blender until smooth and return to the soup.  Add the macaroni and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season the soup with ground black pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls & sprinkle with Parmesan.