Tenor Pasta

1 lb Sweet Italian sausage
1/4 lb Bacon or Pancetta, chopped
1 lb Ground beef
2 Onions, chopped fine
2 Celery stalks, diced
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups Chicken stock
1 can (8 oz) Tomato sauce
2 cans (19 oz each) Cannellini beans, drained
1 can (15 oz.) Red Kidney beans, well drained
1 can (14 oz.) Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp White pepper
1 tsp Dried Ground Thyme
1 tsp Dried rosemary
2 tsp Dried basil
1 1/2 cups Ditalini or other tube pasta
1 cup Cooked orzo
1 Carrot, shredded
Parmesan and Fresh Basil as garnish

Place a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the sausage links with a small amount of water, covered, until the sausage has browned, about 10 minutes.

Remove sausages to a plate and let cool. Once cooled chop into pieces and then put in a processor till finely ground. Brown the bacon in the same pot as used for the sausage links, using a little olive oil if necessary. Brown it but don't let it get crisp. Add the chopped sausage back in with the ground beef and cook until everything is browned, about 15 minutes.

Add onions, celery and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Add the stock and skim the fat off as it rises to the top (can use a gravy separator also). Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

In processor, blend tomato sauce with 1 cup cannellini beans. Pour the mixture into the pot then add the rest of the cannellini beans, kidneybeans, tomatoes and herbs. After 5 minutes, add the pasta and simmer for 20 minutes. Add more water if needed.
5
Add the orzo and carrots and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Should be a thick stew like consistency.

Yield: Makes about 8 servings.