Pasta? Not Pasta Fazool?!

I'm afraid the story behind this recipe is not going to be a real selling feature.  But give this recipe a try! Seriously! Despite anything you might hear from my family, it is a delicious and super-quick meal for a busy week night, and I'm sure, like the rest of us, you have one or two of those busy nights ahead of you most weeks too.
I came across this recipe many years ago and made it one too many times for my family's liking!  It got to the point where I didn't exactly stop making it (despite their protests!), I would just try to disguise it and make it anyway.
The first one home would walk in the door after school and smell something strangely familiar... and shout up the stairs MOM...what's for dinner? To which I would sheepishly respond... pasta... and they would shout back (a littler louder now) pasta?!  What kind of pasta? and I would say... I don't know...just pasta... to which NOT PASTA FAZOOL?!! would ultimately follow. Fazool was a new four-letter word in our house.

Pasta E Fagioli

Saute a large diced onion, a large diced carrot and a celery rib or two in a little olive oil.  Some diced bacon or pancetta thrown in along with the veggies is really delicious and essential when trying to persuade your family that this IS something they love to eat often, but can be left out for a vegetarian meal!
Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and continue to saute until everything is starting to soften and pancetta is crisping.
Pour in 2 cups of whatever stock you have on hand: beef, veggie or chicken along with a 14 oz tin of petite cut tomatoes, 1/2 cup small pasta (ditalini is perfect here) and a can of navy beans mashing 3/4 of them first with a fork and pour the rest in whole.  The mashed beans thicken the soup and add a nice punch of protein. A big spoon of basil pesto and a glug of red wine is also very agreeable.
Simmer until the pasta is soft, but not mushy adding more liquid if you like although this is more like a stew then a soup.  Serve in big bowls with parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of crusty buttery croutons if you have them. FAZOOL!