Hearty Sausage & King City Pink Bean Pasta Fagioli

This is one of those soups that earns its place on repeat. It’s built slowly, layer by layer, and rewards patience with deep, savory flavor. The kind of meal that makes the house smell incredible, pulls everyone toward the kitchen, and feels especially right when the days are short and cold.

Ingredients

Meat

1 lb Italian sausage (mix of sweet and hot), casings removed

Vegetables

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

4 white button mushrooms, chopped

2 small carrots, chopped

¼ head red cabbage, thinly sliced

2–3 handfuls baby spinach

Aromatics & Seasoning

Salt, to taste

Fennel seeds

6 cloves garlic, pressed

1 Parm rind

Fresh basil, for finishing

Liquids & Pantry

1 cup red wine

1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes (Safeway Organics are the best value)

1 can water (use the tomato can)

1 large spoonful Better Than Bouillon chicken base

2 cups cooked King City Pink Beans

1 cup dry tubetti pasta

To Finish

Extra-virgin olive oil

Pecorino Romano cheese

Method

Step 1 – Brown the Sausage

Add the sausage to a large, heavy pot and season lightly with salt. Add enough water to just cover the meat and bring to a simmer. Let the water cook off completely, then allow the sausage to brown deeply in its own fat.

Step 2 – Build the Base

Add the onion, celery, mushrooms, carrots, and red cabbage. Season with salt and a pinch of fennel seeds. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften.

Deglaze with the red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce until syrupy and glossy.

Step 3 – Let It Sing

After the wine has reduced, continue cooking for another five minutes. The vegetables should sizzle gently, glaze in the fat, and deepen in color. You should hear them singing in the pan — that sound means flavor is concentrating.

Step 4 – Build the Broth

Add the tomatoes, Parm rind, one can of water, Better Than Bouillon, pressed garlic, and the King City Pink Beans.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down.

You can simmer the soup longer if you’d like deeper flavor and have the time. On this day, I let it go for three hours. I love how the house fills with the smell of it simmering, and how the kids come home from school to that welcoming, familiar aroma of home-cooked food on a cold day. If the mixture starts to tighten up, just add a little water.

Step 5 – Pasta, Greens & Finish

Add the tubetti pasta and baby spinach directly to the pot. Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If needed, thin with a little water until the soup is loose and spoonable.

Finish at the table with fresh basil, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a generous sprinkle of Pecorino Romano.

This is the kind of meal that’s even better the next day — richer, deeper, more unified. A bowl of it feels like being taken care of, which might be the best thing food can do in the middle of winter.