I added Italian sausage to this to make an already hearty soup into a full meal. Spend the money and buy good sausage from a deli; it’s more flavorful, lower in fat and just all around better for you. Of course, you can leave it out and substitute vegetable stock for the chicken to make a vegetarian-friendly dish.
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings (use some of each for medium heat)
2 14 oz. cans Cannellini or other beans
3 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons each dried parsely, sage, rosemary & thyme (the Simon & Garfunkel bouquet garni)
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups Ditali pasta
Heat half of olive oil in a large heavy pan. Cook sausage over medium high heat until browned, then add remaning olive oil, garlic and onions and sauté until softened. Add tomatoes, beans, stock and herbs; simmer 20 minutes uncovered. Remove 1 cup of the beans from the soup and mash or purée until smooth. While doing that, add pasta to soup and cook until tender. Add mashed beans back into soup and stir to blend. Serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with fresh parsley if desired.
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