Pasta e Fagioli

This is literally pasta and beans.  A former cousin-in-law who hails from Italy pronounced this to be "very very good."

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground beef, browned and crumbled (I have also made this with ham, and it is very good)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 pints canned tomatoes
2 cans chicken or beef broth (or a quart of fresh if you have it)
12 oz. small white beans with liquid
12 oz. kidney beans with liquid
1 tsp. dry basil leaves
1/2 tsp. oregano
dash pepper

On hand:

6 oz. uncooked elbow or other small macaroni
Parmesan cheese, grated

Assembly directions:

In a 4 qt. nonstick saucepan, heat oil.  Add onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.  Add carrots and celery; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, 1 or 2 minutes.  Add ground beef, tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.  Add beans with liquid, basil, oregano, and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Simmer 10 minutes longer to allow flavors to blend.

Freezing and cooling directions:

When cool, spoon soup into quart freezer bags or containers.  Seal and label.  To serve, thaw in fridge, or defrost in microwave.  Reheat in microwave or on stovetop.  Cook macaroni according to directions.  Spoon 1 cup macaroni into a bowl and top with 1 cup soup.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Serve with breadsticks.