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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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Made this today. I will say it tastes a lot like Olive Gardens soup. A slight difference though. I’m surprised that the recipe didn’t call for any garlic or salt. I will add both next time. I will say this makes a TON. Almost didn’t fit my 6qt crock pot. I might scale back a bit next time too. Its delicious and I will be keeping this recipe. Thank you! I notice on some of these comments how people comment on how good this sounds but never have made it. I guess I dont understand why you would comment if you haven’t even made it yet. I notice that on a lot of websites though. Just kinda strange. 🙂
Made this today; halved the recipe. Italian sausage instead of hamburg, 3 1/2 c. broth, elbows, only kidney beans, a few red pepper flakes in place of the Tabasco. NO, no, no to Prego! Barilla pasta sauce with garlic and basil. A little sugar to cut the acidity. Cooked in the oven at 225 for about 5 hrs. EXCELLENT!
Forget cutting in half, I doubled it and cooked on the stove 4 hours. Served it with a salad and fresh baked baguettes, huge hit with entire family!
Made this today on the stovetop and it came out great. Cooked it about three hours.
This soup looks really good. I can’t wait to try it out.
If making this soup (1/2 recipe) in a stockpot on the stove, how long do I cook it for? Thanks
I would do it on low for at least an hour… you can really do it as long as you want though– as long as you add the pasta at the end!
Years ago OG had a wonderful meatloaf…does anyone have the recipe?
This was outstanding. I actually followed the recipe 100%, which is rare for me and I am really happy I did. It’s fantastic. I nearly substituted the Prego Spaghetti Sauce for plain tomato sauce and some additional herbs, but I’m sure glad I didn’t. That Prego really makes the flavor. I will for sure be making this again!
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All I would say is have a HUGE crockpot! 🙂 I think it needed a little salt. Next time I will add the noodles as we serve it. I added it to the crockpot and the noodles sucked up all the juice, but it was still delicious!
I made this last night but I did 1 lb of Hamburger and 1 lb medium Italian sausage..it was WONDERFUL
I just made this today, my husband said it was better than Olive Garden’s. he is on a low carb diet so I am adding the cooked pasta to only the bowls of the people that want it. Perfect!
This is an excellent copycat recipe. This is my favorite soup at OG and you’ve nailed it. The only thing I changed is I added a little bit of crushed red pepper and sugar, I sautéed the onions and celery and garnished with grated Parmesan. It does make a lot so everyone at the office should be happy tomorrow along with what I’ll put in the freezer. I’ll leave out the pasta in the freezer batch and add it when I reheat. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Nice work.
I’ve made this twice now – I use the sodium-free beef broth granules, and instead of the water, I use low sodium V8 – and a lot of it. I also use tomato puree instead of the diced tomatoes. The ditalini pasta is perfect for this, and has a nice “bounce” when you bite it. I have a huge batch in the stockpot and plan on freezing most of it. Tastes great.
I just made this recipe tonight, but halved it based on the comments. It was fantastic! My husband ate thirds and said it was just as good as the Olive Garden’s. Thanks for posting!
This is good soup. I have also made it adding zucchini and summer squash slices . My daughter is a vegan , so I did this and cut out the meat, I also used broken pieces of spagetti for the pasta as it does not seem to soak up so much of the liquid.
I’m going to make this tomorrow night. My biggest crock pot is 6 qt. It sounds like that won’t be big enough. Is an 8 qt stove top pan big enough or do I need to get my roaster out?
I wouldn’t go any smaller than an 8 qt but that should be big enough.
I also found out that a six quart crockpot is not big enough had to cook it on the stove
I’ve learned through experience that you always leave noodles on the side and only put in your bowl not the soup unless it will all be eaten in one sitting
This recipe is very good. The only problem I came across is that after adding the pasta it soaked up all the juices. So the soup became very thick. I think next time I try this, I’m going to add the pasta as I make the bowls. Seems like it would freeze well, which is a great thing because this makes a lot of soup.
When did you add the noodles? You should be adding the cooked noodles at the very end, right before serving, as per the recipe, or they will soak up too much and become soggy.
That’s what the recipe says to do:
1. cook the soup WITHOUT pasta
2. cook the pasta
3. add the pasta to the soup
I made this a couple of weeks ago! I was YUM MEE! My fam keeps asking me when I’m going to make it again. Thanks for posting!