Pasta Fagioli

Sauté the sausage, ground beef, onion, garlic, oregano, and thyme in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat until the meats are nicely browned and cooked throughout, crumbling them as they cook; drain any fats that accumulate. .
½ pound Italian sausage, crumbled, ½ pound lean ground beef, ½ medium onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Add the tomato paste to the meat mixture and cook over medium heat until the tomato paste has turned from bright red in color to a rather dull, brownish-red color.
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, the rinsed and drained kidney beans, broth, and red pepper flakes; season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
28 ounces Italian diced tomatoes, 14 ounce can dark kidney beans, 4 cups beef broth, 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Simmer the soup over medium low heat for 25-30 minutes, adding more beef broth if needed, until the soup is a nice consistency.
To serve, place the warm, cooked penne pasta into serving bowls, topping the pasta with the prepared soup; garnish with Italian parsley and Parmesan. *If desired, the cooked pasta can be stirred right into the pot of soup, but be aware that the pasta will absorb a lot of the broth as it rests.
2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley, ½ pound penne pasta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese