Pasta eFagioli

I love Olive Garden's Pasta eFagioli and have found this recipe to be pretty similar. It tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to infuse overnight. By adding more pasta and sauce you can make a huge pot. I like to make it large and put some in the freezer for a night when I just don't feel like cooking. The only thing that makes it better is serving it with yummy garlic breadsticks (you can freeze those too!).

1lb ground beef (or sausage)
1/2 onion diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot julienne
2 stalks celery chopped
2) 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes
1) 15oz can red kidney beans
1) 15 oz can great northern beans
1) 15oz can tomato sauce
1) 12oz can tomato juice
2-3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 lb elbow noodles (whole wheat), cooked according to directions

Cook ground beef with onion and garlic, stir in celery and carrots. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Add all ingredients to stock pot and cook until heated, approximately 15 minutes.