Pasta e Fagioli aka Salway Family Staple

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 3 carrots, grated
• 2-3 stalks of celery, cut
• 1 med. yellow onion, diced
• 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes (I use the Hunt's Italian flavored tomatoes)
• 14 oz. white beans
• 14 oz. kidney beans
• 1 can of V8 juice
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 3 tsp. italian seasoning
• 1/2 lb. ditalini pasta (optional)

In a large stock pot brown the beef with onions and garlic. Add the whole can of tomatoes with the juice. Add carrots, celery, and beans. Boil for a good 20 minutes unless you are putting this in the crock pot. Add the V8 juice and italian seasoning. Depending on how thick you want this soup, add as much water as you feel necessary. Sometimes I add more V8 juice also. It doesn't really change the taste either way. I put my soup in the crockpot on high for a couple of hours so that all of the flavors come together. If you are not doing this, I would let the soupl simmer for 30 minutes or so. I don't add the pasta, but it is good either way. When we are not worried about the extra calories, we add homemade alfredo sauce to the soup.

I make this weekly and we have it for lunch almost everyday.