Frisky Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Fortify your fertility at lunch with a bowl of this hearty bean, vegetable and pasta dish.

You might overlook your sensory organs when you think of eating healthfully, but when you realize that your sense of smell, taste, sight, touch and hearing are largely responsible for your quality of life, you'll think again. And when you enjoy the movies you see, the food you eat, the book you read, your sex life and more, you'll find that you look better, too. So, go ahead and load up on nutrients like folate and lycopene to harness sensory benefits.

MORE: How Healthy Do You Feel?

What: Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Why it’s great: Folate and lycopene and perhaps selenium (found in tomatoes and garlic), help to promote fertility and sexual health in women and men.

What you’ll need:

• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp olive oil
•   2 garlic cloves, minced
•  1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 ½ cups low-salt vegetable or chicken broth
•  ½ can (8 oz.) seasoned diced tomatoes, with juice
•   ½ can (8 oz.) kidney or red beans, rinsed and drained
•  ¼ cup uncooked whole-wheat Gemelli (small twisted pasta)
•  ¼ cup frozen baby peas, thawed
• 1/8 cup grated Asiago or Romano cheese
•  1/8 cup chopped fresh basil

How to make it:
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrot slices and olive oil. Cook two minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook one minute. Add pasta and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in beans and tomatoes. Return to a simmer and cook five minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in peas and heath through. Ladle into shallow bowls. Top with cheese and basil.

Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories 268
Fat 3.5 grams
Aging fats 0.7 grams
Fiber 8.9 grams
Carbs 40.9 grams
Protein 19.3 grams
Sodium 684 milligrams
Potassium 888 milligrams