Pasta e Fagioli ala Weeble

As a Canadian, growing up in Toronto’s Little Italy, this soup was always on someone’s stovetop somewhere in the fall and winter months. Pasta, beans, and a thick broth, sprinkled with Parm or Romano, and served with fresh crusty Italian bread - what’s not to love? I spent a lot of time, back in the day, in the cucina with my friends and their mothers learning the basics of good Italian food!

Step: 1

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat; stir in the ditalini, and return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 6 minutes; drain.

Step: 2

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; stir in onion and bacon and saute until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion mixture; cook over medium-low heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step: 3

Stir chicken broth, beans, tomato paste, and chile pepper into onion-bacon mixture; bring to a simmer and cook until fully heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir ditalini and parsley into the soup; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle each serving with Romano cheese.

Per Serving: 381 calories; protein 15.8g; carbohydrates 44.3g; fat 15.9g; cholesterol 17.5mg; sodium 1679.9mg.