Fall is here, let the soup posts begin!
So anyone who has enjoyed an Italian dinner at the Olive Garden knows what Pasta Fagioli is! I love the Olive Garden. Mr. FBBQ does not. While I can make my own Italian dishes at home (and much better), the Olive Garden reminds me of dinners with my Aunt Lori and Aunt Diane. Aunt Lori was my mom’s sister and like a second mom to me. Both her and my Aunt Diane shaped my life in such wonderful ways. Aunt Lori passed this year. I miss her terribly. I was so lucky to have her in my life and I have so many wonderful memories (including the Olive Garden)!
This recipe was super simple! It turned out delicious. I ended up freezing some for later.
We will start by boiling the noodles. Can you guess where I bought most of these ingredients based on the photos? Yep, Whole Foods. While I was at Whole Foods, some guy knocked over a display of cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes scattered everywhere! As I and the staff and the guy gathered them up, he stacked them back on top of the display, which then promptly fell back over and scattered the tomatoes once again. It was quite the comedy.
Add the diced tomatoes, the cooked noodles, the Italian Seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder to a large pot with some vegetable stock. Stir in the frozen vegetables (I chose a mix of corn, peas, green beans, and lima beans). Add the garbanzo beans, a dash of salt and pepper, and a shot of white wine vinegar.
Ready to serve (in a fish dish, of course)! You can add some shaved parmesan (this is Italian, after all) to top it off. I enjoyed this with some fresh Italian bread from (you guessed it) Whole Foods.