Holiday recipes: N.J. Burkett's Pasta e Fagioli

NEW YORK (WABC) -- N.J. Burkett's holiday recipe is Pasta e Fagioli. See the recipe below.

Ingredients

- 3 cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 large can of crushed tomatoes

- 4 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1/2 sweet onion, minced

- Extra virgin olive oil

- White wine

- White flour

- Salt

- Ground black pepper

- Red pepper flakes

- Sprig of fresh rosemary

- 2 cups of pasta

- 2 links of spicy Italian sausage, boiled and thinly sliced*

- 3 liters of water

Directions

1. Heat garlic and onions in a large cooking pot with one-half cup of olive oil until sizzling

2. Add 2 tablespoons of white flour

3. After 1 minute, add the 3 liters of water and allow it to boil

4. Once boiling, add the crushed tomatoes, the cannellini beans, the red pepper and black pepper, 2 tablespoons of salt, 1/4 cup of white wine, the sausages and the rosemary

5. Allow the soup to simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes, then add 2 cups of pasta (Any type of small pasta is suitable. I use lumachine, made in Italy by Garofalo.)

6. After 15-30 minutes, the soup should be thick and ready to serve

* The sausage is optional, as the soup can be made for vegetarians. In preparing the sausage, I recommend boiling the raw links for 20 minutes, separately, in a small pot and slicing them and adding them, as called for in the recipe.

Inspired by and adapted from celebrity chef, Lidia Bastianich. She's brilliant!

Check out the video above to see how N.J. makes his Pasta e Fagioli.

Click here for more holiday recipes from the Eyewitness News team!