- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces sweet bulk Italian sausage
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup dry elbow macaroni
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 cups chicken broth, or more as needed, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups chopped Swiss chard
- 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus additional for serving, or to taste
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high sausage. Brown sausage while breaking it into small pieces, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add diced celery and chopped onion. Cook until onions are translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add dry pasta. Cook and stir 2 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste until evenly distributed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3 cups broth. Raise heat to high and bring to a simmer. Add salt, black pepper, pepper flakes, and oregano. When soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let it simmer about 5 minutes, stirring often. Check soup consistency and add more broth, if needed.
- Place chopped chard in a bowl. Cover with cold water and rinse the leaves; any grit will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Transfer chard to colander to drain briefly; add to soup. Cook and stir until leaves wilt, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in white beans; continue cooking and stirring until pasta is perfectly cooked, another 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese. Serve topped with grated cheese, if desired.