Serves: 8
Total Calories: 258

1/4 cup olive oil
2 ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped fresh tomato, or canned tomatoes
pinch of crushed red pepper
salt
3 cups drained cooked dried or canned cannellini or great northern beans
8 ounces ditalini or broken spaghetti

1 Pour the oil into a large saucepan. Add the celery and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the vegetables are tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and salt to taste. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

2 Add the beans to the tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Mash some of the beans with the back of a large spoon.

3 Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt to taste, then the pasta. Stir well. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender, but slightly underdone. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water.

4 Stir the pasta into the bean mixture. Add a little of the cooking water, if needed, but the mixture should remain very thick. Turn off the heat and let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 8
Total Calories: 258
Calories from Fat: 63

More Recipes from the Cook'n in Italy Cookbook:
* Soups
Antonietta’s Bean Soup
Bean and Mushroom Soup
Bread Noodles in Broth
Chicken Broth
Chickpea Soup from Puglia
Chickpea and Pasta Soup
Chunky Fish Soup
Cooked Water Soup
Creamy Bean Soup
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Creamy Fennel Soup
Creamy Mushroom Soup
Egg Crepes in Broth
Egg Soup from Pavia
Escarole and Little Meatballs Soup
Fontina, Bread, and Cabbage Soup
Friulian Barley and Bean Soup
Green Bean and Sausage Soup
Leek, Tomato, and Bread Soup
Lentil and Fennel Soup
Lentil and Greens Soup
Ligurian Chickpea and Porcini Soup
Married Soup
Meat Broth
Milan-Style Pasta and Beans
Mushroom and Potato Soup
Mussels and Clams in Tomato Broth
Pasta and Beans
Pureed Lentil Soup with Croutons
Red Pepper Soup
Roman Egg Drop Soup
Seafood, Pasta, and Bean Soup
Semolina Fritters in Broth
Sicilian Tomato Barley Soup
Spinach, Lentil, and Rice Soup
Tuscan Bread and Vegetable Soup
Tuscan Fish Soup
Tyrolean Bread Dumplings
Vegetable Soup with Pesto
Winter Squash Soup
Zucchini Pesto Soup
Zucchini and Potato Soup
Zucchini and Tomato Soup