Italian Pasta & Bean Soup

Directions

Pick over beans, then rinse thoroughly.

Put the 1½ cups beans in a large bowl with 4 times more water than beans and leave to soak over night.

Drain off soaking water and put beans in a heavy skillet or saucepan with the specified about of water.

Bring the beans to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until tender.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot.

Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery and saut? over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden.

Add the beans, cooking liquid or water, zucchini, bay leaves, herb mix and tomato paste.

Bring to a boil lower heat, and then simmer gently covered until the zucchini is just tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow the soup to stand for an hour or so to develop flavor.

In a separate saucepan, cook the pasta al dente.

Rinse briefly under cool water until it stops steaming.

Add the parsley to the soup and heat it through.

When the soup is hot, add the cooked pasta and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve at once.