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Our Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup copycat recipe tastes just like the soup from the restaurant! The best part? This low-maintenance recipe slow cooks all day, allowing everything to simmer together for hours for maximum flavor!
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Made this last night. It was amazing. I love the soup at Olive garden and it tastes just like it.. but better bc its homemade!” – Jeanne
“I have made this recipe many times over the years. It’s a fall favorite of the whole family. Hearty, healthy and filling. And makes a generous batch for days of leftovers (a lifesaver for our busy after school activities). Huge hit in our house!” – Jen
“This soup was absolutely delicious, and, so easy to make. Tasted exactly like the Olive Garden soup. Makes a large portion, and, worth every bit of it. Thanks so much for sharing.” – Sandy
The Ultimate Cozy Soup
This Pasta e Fagioli Soup is one of my family’s most favorite cold weather meals. It reminds me of fall leaves, football season, sweaters and cozy fires. It’s my top choice at Olive Garden every time we go there to eat, so I decided to find a way to make it at home. This copycat recipe tastes exactly like what you get at Olive Garden (maybe even better)!
When I make Pasta e Fagioli soup, I like to pretend that it’s unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden. Try it with our copycat Olive Garden Salad and some warm bread such as our homemade bread twists, garlic breadsticks, herb focaccia bread, or our delicious Italian Cheesy Bread recipe.
🩷 Elise
What is Pasta e Fagioli Soup?
This popular Italian soup literally means “pasta and beans,” so that’s what you’ll find in this dish, along with ground beef and Italian seasonings in a rich tomato-based broth. Pasta e Fagioli is very similar to another hearty favorite, minestrone soup, but they are not the same. The difference between these two soups is that minestrone uses a variety of different veggies, while Pasta e Fagioli features onion, celery and carrots for flavor, but no other vegetables.
Notable Ingredients
Ground Beef – For this recipe I like to use lean ground beef (93%/7%). If the beef is too fatty, then it makes the soup very oily. You can also sub the beef for Italian sausage, bacon, or pancetta.
Onion, Carrots, and Celery – This combination of savory vegetables is often called a mirepoix. Together, they create a base of flavor for the soup. White onion or yellow onion both work great.
Red and White Kidney Beans – It wouldn’t be Pasta e Fagioli without the fagioli! As you might have guessed, fagioli means beans. I like to use dark red kidney beans and also white kidney beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans.
Spices – The spice mix for this recipe includes oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. If you want to expand on the flavor profile, then consider adding garlic powder, garlic cloves, basil, thyme, or a few bay leaves.
Ditalini Pasta – Ditalini pasta is the pasta that Olive Garden uses, but you can use other shapes like small shells, wagon wheels, or elbow macaroni noodles. Cook the pasta to just barely al dente, as it will soften in the soup.
How to Make Pasta Fagioli Soup
I love how easy this recipe is to make. It’s as easy as browning the beef then adding it with all the other ingredients to a Crock Pot and letting it slow cook all day. Here’s what to do:
- Brown the Beef
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until fully browned. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add to Slow Cooker
Transfer the cooked beef to a large slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients except the pasta and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.
- Cook the Pasta
About 15 minutes before serving, cook the pasta to “al dente” or according to package directions. Drain well, then stir it into the soup.
- Serve
Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, if desired.
Tips and Suggestions
- This pasta Fagioli recipe makes a LOT of soup (approximately 20, 1 cup servings) so it’s a terrific recipe for feeding a crowd. I almost always have leftovers and they heat up great for lunches later in the week. You can also cut the recipe in half if you are just feeding a small family.
- This soup freezes well. Store in freezer safe containers or Ziploc bags in the freezer for up to two months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You will need a very large pot or you will need to half the recipe. After browning the beef, add it to a pot along with the other ingredients (minus the pasta). Simmer for about 30–40 minutes, then add cooked pasta just before serving.
They are the same! Pasta Fazool is a nickname for pasta e fagioli that comes from New York Italians.
Small pasta shapes like ditalini are traditional and work best. Small shells or elbow macaroni can also be used if needed.
Let it simmer uncovered to reduce slightly, or mash some of the beans and stir them back into the soup for a thicker texture.
More Slow Cooker Soups to Try
This cozy, hearty, flavor-packed soup is everything you love about Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli, made fresh at home. If you try this copycat recipe, I’d love for you to leave a comment and a ⭐️ rating to let me know how it turned out! 🥣
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion,, chopped
- 3 shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes,, undrained
- 1 (16-ounce) can red kidney beans,, drained
- 1 (16-ounce) can white kidney beans,, drained
- 4 cups beef stock
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried parsley, , plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 1 (24-ounce) bottle Prego Traditional pasta sauce
- 8 ounces ditalini pasta
- Parmesan cheese,, for serving
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain fat.
- Add beef and all ingredients except the pasta and Parmesan cheese into a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- Before serving, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to soup.
- Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.
Equipment
- Crockpot Slow Cooker
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I use Italian sausage when I make it, this makes it even better
Since finding this recipe, I have made it three times and we really love it. I will make another batch tomorrow. We plan to always have some in the fridge and more in the freezer. I like cannellini white beans and added a couple of bay leaves. It works as is or with a bit more veggies and half the expensive ground beef.
Ooh I love those ideas! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing!