White Orchid Melody

It is so cold here!  This is a great stew for warming up these winter nights!

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
4-6 cloves garlic
1 cup carrots
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp italian seasoning
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups cooked white beans (can be navy, northern, or cannellini)
1 cup green beans, cut into 1″ pieces
2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 cup of pasta (rotini or elbow macaroni work well, but any small pasta will do fine)
salt/pepper to taste

Heat oil in stock pot over medium heat.  Chop onion and garlic (I use a food processor).  Saute in olive oil.  Finely chop carrots in food processor (this adds texture, rather than having chunks of carrots).  Season with italian seasoning mix and celery seed.  Add tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.  Add white beans, broth, and green beans.  Return to a boil.  Stir in spinach.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  If you are making this early in the day, you can allow it to simmer here for as long as you want.  About 20 minutes before serving, stir in pasta, salt, and pepper.  Cook until the pasta is tender, but firm.  You can thin with additional vegetable broth if the mixture seems too thick.  Serve with crusty italian bread.