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If you love the cozy, hearty soup from Olive Garden, this Pasta e Fagioli Soup is a must-try. It is rich, filling, and made with ground beef, tender beans, pasta, and a tomato-based broth that tastes just like the restaurant favorite. This Olive Garden copycat recipe is easy, comforting, and perfect for chilly nights or busy days.
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?
Pasta e fagioli literally means pasta and beans, which is exactly what makes this soup so hearty and satisfying. Along with the pasta and beans, this version also has ground beef, Italian seasonings, and a rich tomato-based broth. It is similar to minestrone, but not quite the same. Minestrone usually has a wider variety of vegetables, while pasta e fagioli keeps it simple with onion, celery, and carrots for flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground beef – I like to use lean ground beef so the soup stays hearty without becoming greasy.
- Onion, carrots, and celery – This classic combination creates the base flavor and gives the soup that cozy homemade taste.
- Diced tomatoes – These add texture and help build the rich tomato broth.
- Beans – Red kidney beans and white kidney beans make this soup extra filling and are essential to that classic pasta e fagioli flavor.
- Beef stock – This gives the soup a savory, rich base.
- Spices – Oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce bring warmth and depth to the broth.
- Pasta sauce – This adds even more tomato flavor and helps make the broth taste hearty and comforting.
- Ditalini pasta – This is the traditional pasta shape and the one I like best for the Olive Garden copycat version.
- Parmesan cheese and parsley – These are perfect for topping each bowl right before serving.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
One of the things I love most about this soup is how flexible it is. There are a lot of easy ways to make it work with what you have on hand.
Cut the recipe in half – This soup makes a lot, so halving it is a good option for a smaller family.
Swap the meat – Italian sausage, bacon, or pancetta all work well if you want a different flavor.
Change the beans – Great northern beans or cannellini beans are great substitutes for white kidney beans.
Try a different pasta – Small shells, wagon wheels, or elbow macaroni all work if you do not have ditalini.
Add more flavor – Garlic powder, fresh garlic, basil, thyme, or bay leaves are all delicious additions.
Make it a little spicier – Add extra hot sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
How to Make Pasta e 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.
Recipe Tips
- Use lean ground beef so the soup does not turn out oily.
- Cook the pasta separately to keep it from getting too soft in the slow cooker.
- Do not overcook the pasta since it will continue to soften once it is added to the soup.
- Mash some of the beans into the soup if you want a thicker texture.
- Use a large slow cooker since this recipe makes enough to feed a crowd (approximately 20, 1 cup servings). You can always half the recipe if you don’t need that much.
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.
Make Ahead and Storage
This is a great make-ahead soup because the flavors only get better over time. I love making a big batch and keeping leftovers for lunch or another easy dinner later in the week.
- Make ahead – Prepare the soup in advance and cook the pasta separately so it stays the right texture.
- Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.
- Freeze – Freeze in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 2 months.
- Reheat – Warm on the stove or in the microwave, and add a splash of broth if needed.
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
- Use lean ground beef for the best flavor and texture.
- Cook the pasta separately so it does not get mushy.
- Ditalini is the traditional pasta, but small shells or elbow macaroni work too.
- This recipe makes a large batch, so it is great for leftovers or feeding a crowd.
- To make the soup thicker, mash some of the beans and stir them back in.
- This soup freezes well for up to 2 months.
- I love serving it with salad, breadsticks, garlic bread, focaccia, crusty bread, or cornbread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!! I have make it several times for my family and its a hit every time. My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy and he loves it! Highly recommend trying it for yourself!
WOW, this is fantastic. I will definitly make it again. My husband loved it too.
I’ve used this recipe for many years, and it’s absolutely wonderful. I angle-cut my carrots though because our local Olive Garden manager had them done that way. She got promoted and the new manager shreds them, and he’s stingy, so try it with the carrot medallions; it’s prettier and holds up better to long cooking with the larger size. I do add minced garlic and a bit of sugar to offset the tomato’s acidity, also. I freeze large quantities of my soup in quart jars, and it is wonderful to have on hand. I make large amounts in a stock pot; not in my little crock pot. We like to let it sit in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to meld better.
This was fantastic! I made it tonight and my whole family was impressed. I found that garlic salt and parmesan were great additives. Try with a side of spinach and feta stuffed crescent rolls!
I didn’t have a big enough crockpot but I have a huge stockpot so I made this soup in that. I had to improvise a little because I didn’t have two cans of tomatoes on hand. I had one can of tomatoes and I had a can of tomato sauce so I used those instead. I cooked the pasta to al dente then I added all ingrediants to the stockpot and heated until boiling. Then I reduced heat to simmer and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes then served it. It was great this way because we were able to have it for lunch rather than waiting for dinner. It is amazing! I love that it makes a ton because I will be freezing individual servings to bring to work! Thanks, another great pinterest find!
Yeah this makes a TON! I have it cooking for dinner right now- had to transfer some of it to a second, smaller slow cooker because I had a little more than 2 lbs of meat to use, and it absolutely would have overflowed my 6 qt crockpot. Excited to try it!
I make a version of this soup also-one I found online years ago. It calls for mostly the same ingredients-but in addition, a can of v8, and 1T of white vinegar. I worked at the OG for several years, and I love that soup! 🙂
Just made this recipe for myself and my three roommates. Everyone loved it! Like others previously stated, this makes a HUGE amount of soup. I only used 1lb of beef. Next time I will cut the recipe in half for sure!
Thank you for posting this. Made this for dinner tonight. Even my kid (who is picky) loved this.
This is fabulous! If you don’t want to make it in a crock pot, just throw it in a pot on the stove! I doubled the recipe and before adding the pasta halved it, so I could freeze part of it!
Have this in the crockpot right now cooking on high so I can have it in time for lunch! I cut the recipie in half, I dont have a huge crockpot and even cut in half its almost overflowing. Looks delicious. I love soups and my husband is not a fan so I end up eating a whole pot of soup by myself. This will be perfect for lunches this week. I go to a lot of large potlucks where it would be perfect to make the full sized recipie, as soon as I get a bigger crockpot!
Wow, we loved it! It’s still hot in October in the Bay Area but I went ahead and made this soup today. We will definitely make this soup again.
A generous Tablespoon of white vinegar brings out the flavors, much as salt would, and adds a spark to this soup.
This soup was a huge hit when I served it earlier in the month. While it does make a lot, my crock pot was completely empty after 7 adults, two children and a teen enjoyed seconds. I’ll be making this again as soon as the weather turns chilly.
Made this tonight and it was GREAT! I didn’t have all 5 tsp of parsley, so I used italian seasoning and it still came out awesome – and I love that there’s no added salt – doesn’t even need it!
Love love love this just wish there was done nutrient facts posted…
Does this need any added salt? I don’t see salt on the ingredient list. I am making this tonight.
You can add some salt to taste if you think it needs it.
Made this minus the meet and fell in love all over again!!! 🙂
This is by far the best soup that I have ever made! Thanks for the simple crockpot recipe…..
This looks terrific! I love Olive Garden’s soup. Guess what’s on the menu this week? Thanks!