Pasta e Fagioli a la Chez Ivano

SUBMITTED BY: Ivan O. Teeter PHOTO BY: marlie

"I have been preparing this magnificent pasta and bean soup, unchanged for over 30 years, and confess that of the very many Pasta e Fagioli I have tasted none even came close to a reasonable comparison to this superb dish Italiano. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Makes many servings and is excellent the next day. Should the soup become too thick it may be thinned with broth. Have many Chicago hard rolls, red wine, baguettes or garlic bread on hand. BUON APPETITO!"

PREP TIME	1 Hr
COOK TIME	2 Hrs
READY IN	3 Hrs

SERVINGS & SCALING

Original recipe yield: 8 quarts

USMETRIC

About scaling and conversions

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
2 (4.5 ounce) jars bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
8 (14.5 ounce) cans beef consomme
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 cups ditalini pasta
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

READ REVIEWS (48)

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Cook onion, celery, garlic and black pepper until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes. Stir in beef consomme, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with thyme, basil, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. (At this point, you may put the pot on a back burner to keep warm and continue with the next steps about 1 hour prior to serving, if you wish.)
Stir in the beef and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the beans and heat through, 10 to 15 minutes.

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REVIEWS

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Reviewed on Jun. 20, 2005 by JOHND

I have had this recipe many times. Made the first time I had it, and quite a few times after that by Chez Ivano (Ivan O.Teeter) himself. Ivan was my father-in-law. Unfortunately Ivan passed away just over two years ago. He had many recipe's. This one was among his favorites. Most people who have had it agree it is an excellent Italian soup. We have served Pasta e Fagioli a la Chez Ivano (he really liked that name) numerous times to guests, and they always ask for the recipe before they leave. People will try variations to satisfy there own tastes but the basis of this recipe remains Ivan's. Perhaps one day I will get his recipe book out and share more with you. There is a recipe for S.O.S. that I'm sure most who have been in the military would appreciate.

9 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on Jan. 24, 2004 by CANUCKATLARGE

YUMMY! This is a wonderfully flavourful soup that fills your house with the scent of a fine Italian restaurant! I have cooked this both the regular way and by slow cooker, and have had great success for both. For slow-cooker fans: scramble-fry ground beef, then add all ingredients to crock-pot except for kidney beans and pasta. Cook for 4-6 hours on high (or 8-10 on low, your preference). Add the kidney beans and pasta during the last 15 minutes of cooking. If you intend to keep/freeze leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each soup bowl... this will prevent liquid absorption and smushy pasta. I found that macaroni also works well if you can't find ditalini in your grocery store. I reduced the amount of garlic to 5-6 large cloves, minced (for a 10-serving recipe), and we did not lack for garlic flavour! Thanks so much for a first-class recipe, Ivan!

7 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on Feb. 16, 2006 by GLORY7

I made this soup in honour of the Opening Ceremony for the 2006 Olympics in Torino...and i have to tell you, this recipe is absolutely amazing! The only change i made was to add about 1/2 can of navy beans - like Olive Garden's. I halfed the recipe to 10 servings and it turned out perfectly. I would suggest making the Pesto Bread Rounds recipe off of allrecipes to go with the soup...YUM!!

6 users found this review helpful

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