Spicy Vegetable Pasta Fagioli (with chicken or beans)
Homemade recipe by: Mike DeFuria

Ingredients:

1½ cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped sweet green peppers
½ cup chopped sweet red peppers
½ cup chopped sweet yellow peppers
½ cup chopped sweet orange peppers
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped hot chili peppers
2 chopped habanero peppers (optional)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds boneless chicken breast, skin removed
or
3 cups kidney beans
1 ½ cups pinto beans
1 cup green or wax beans
1 cup snow peas
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup zucchini chopped, seeds removed
1 cup summer squash chopped, seeds removed
2 cups cauliflower
2 cups broccoli
6 cups diced tomatoes

Spices:

½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp chipotle chile pepper
½ tsp crushed red chile pepper
2 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
½ tsp black pepper
sea salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot (8 quart) over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, sweet peppers, hot peppers, carrots, and habanero pepper; cook and stir until the onion is transparent.

2. Cut the chicken into bite size chunks, add to the stock pot, add half the spices, cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is no longer pink. Skip this step if making with beans.

3. Add the diced tomatoes, stirring into the onions, garlic, peppers, etc. Add the remaining spices and bring to a slow boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the pinto and kidney beans and bring to a slow boil. Skip this step if making with chicken.

5. Add the longer cooking vegetables, cauliflower, green beans, broccoli, etc. and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the softer vegetables, zucchini, summer squash, celery, snow peas, etc. and continue to simmer. Cook until the vegetables soften but are still crisp, remove from the stove.

Notes:

1. Use all fresh vegetables
2. Nutrition below is with “no salt added” tomatoes
3. Nutrition below is with “no salt added” beans
4. Spice to your preference
5. Salt to your preference
6. Makes 5 quarts (20 servings, 1 cup per serving)
7. Great over brown rice, whole wheat pasta, or any hearty pasta
Nutrition (chicken):

* Calories 147
* Fat 4.6 g
* Saturated Fat 0.9 g
* Cholesterol 39 mg
* Sodium 58 mg
* Carbs 10 g
* Dietary Fiber 2.6 g
* Protein 16 g

Nutrition (beans):

* Calories 120
* Fat 3.2 g
* Saturated Fat 0.4 g
* Cholesterol 0 mg
* Sodium 24 g
* Carbs 19
* Dietary Fiber 5 g
* Protein 5.3 g