Fun and Easy Recipe of the Month Pasta and Bean Soup with Sausage Ingredients 6 oz. dried cannellini beans (1 cup) 1 head of garlic plus 1 garlic clove 2 sprigs fresh thyme, rosemary or sage 7 oz. thick-cut pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 5 1/2 oz. sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing, 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling 4 cups vegetable broth 8 ounces ditaloni rigati Fine sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley Instructions Rinse beans, then place with head of garlic and herb sprigs in a large saucepan and cover with water by 3 inches. Soak for 8 hours, or overnight. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil; reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, adding water as necessary to keep level 2 to 3 inches above beans, until beans are tender, about 45 minutes or more (cooking time varies depending on age of beans). Reserving cooking liquid, drain beans through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; discard garlic and herb sprigs. Separately, set aside beans and their liquid. Finely chop remaining garlic clove. In a large heavy pot with lid or Dutch oven, combine pancetta and sausage; heat over medium-high heat, stirring frequently and breaking up sausage into bits with a wooden spoon, until fat is rendered and sausage is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add onion and oil, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add reserved beans, 2 cups bean cooking liquid, broth and 2 1/4 cups water; bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Increase heat to bring soup to a low boil; add pasta and cook until pasta is just al dente (pasta will continue to cook in soup; do not overcook). Season with salt and pepper to taste (soup can be thinned, if desired, using remaining bean cooking liquid). Ladle soup into serving bowls; sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with oil. This recipe was provided by LaMotta's Italian Restaurant located at 15660 San Carlos Blvd #225, Fort Myers, Fl 33908 for more information please call 239-482-5505 or visit www.lamottasitalianrestaurant.com Beach Clean-Up Day Let's go to the beach for a good cause! Not only do you get to have fun in the sun, but you also get the satisfaction of helping the environment. Why not join in on all the fun and bring your family and/or friends and let's work together to make Fort Myers Beach beautiful! It is very important that we remember to keep our beaches clean by throwing away any unnecessary trash. Litter that is not properly discarded injures and kills fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Ocean litter is becoming a critical problem worldwide and helping prevent it is our responsibility. Don't forget to contact our office to sign up! We look forward to seeing you Sunday, February 12, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Please give Elizabeth a call to sign up. 239-939-0900 | 
