Ingredients
Scale
- Beans
- 1 pound white navy beans
- 3 quarts canned chicken broth
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Marinara
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 – 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 – 14.5 oz. cans Muir Glen whole peeled tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pasta
- 1 pound ditalini
- Salt (for water)
Instructions
- Wash the beans thoroughly and discard any imperfect ones.
- Put the chicken broth in a large pot. Add the beans, garlic, oil, salt and pepper.
- Simmer until beans are tender, 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
- In the meantime prepare marinara.
- In a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, slowly sauté the garlic and seasonings in the olive oil.
- Add the tomatoes, a little more red pepper and the salt and pepper.
- Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or so on low heat.
- Lastly, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta to very al dente, 8 minutes.
- Reserving 2 cups of liquid, drain the pasta in a colander.
- When the beans are tender, add the drained pasta and the marinara to the pot.
- If more broth is desired, add the pasta liquid, a little as you go, until you reach a desired consistency.
- Simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Ladle into large soup dishes and sprinkle with freshly grated Romano (or Parmesan) cheese and a pinch more of your spices.
- Serve immediately.