Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 2 whole carrots, diced
• 4 celery stalks, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups beef stock
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste I added 1 tsp salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 (15 oz) cans beans, drained and rinsed – your choice (navy beans, cannellini, kidney, etc…)
• 1 cup ditalini pasta uncooked
• pesto and Parmesan for toppings, as desired

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to a large skillet and add in ground beef. Cook until browned.
2. Place the beef in a slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except for the beans and pasta.
3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving stir in beans and pasta.
4. Cook pasta to your taste. We like it a bit more done so ours was closer to 1 hour in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaves before serving.
5. Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and a few grates of Parmesan cheese as desired.