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    🏠Home » Recipes » Soup Recipes

    Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)

    Dec 27, 2019 | Last Updated Apr 10, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    5 from 2 votes

    This delicious Pasta e Fagioli Soup is an Olive Garden copycat that you can easily make at home on the stovetop or in your crock pot—loaded with beef, pasta, vegetables, and beans simmered in a rich, spicy tomato broth. It will become your new family dinner favorite.

    Pasta e Fagioli Soup in spoon

    Table of Contents
    • 📋Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make Pasta e Fagioli Soup in a Crock Pot
    • ❓FAQs
    • ❄️Storage
    • 📖Italian Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    Pasta e Fagioli means "pasta and beans" and is a traditional Italian peasant soup.  If you think of this soup as thick Italian Minestrone Soup with meat, beans, and pasta, you will be reasonably close.

    The most well-known version is from Olive Garden restaurants. You can do this easy copycat version at home with excellent results. The "inspired by" goes to a Food.com recipe Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli with a few changes but expanded options to make it your own.

    We were in a soup mood and needed leftovers. Despite this not being very "cooking for two" friendly, we finished every last drop without freezing.

    My Ratingbu

    My rating system of a 4 out of 5 so very nice.

    An excellent soup, as expected, a very high 4 or low 5. A perfect company recipe to cook ahead.

    📋Ingredients

    Meat

    While you can easily make a great vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli Soup without ground meat, most variations will use ground beef.

    This recipe is also great with Italian sausage, ground chicken, or ground turkey.

    Ground meat needs to be browned to not clump as the soup cooks.

    Beans

    The old Italian recipes use Cannellini beans. But the Olive Garden version is made with white-like Great Northern or Navy and red kidney beans. It’s a matter of your personal preference.

    There is no provision for cooking the beans during this recipe, so use pre-cooked or canned.

    The model recipe uses undrained canned beans. The packing fluid of canned beans is relatively high in sodium—there is no good reason to add that. I suggest draining it and replacing the fluid with low sodium beef broth. I have added one 14 ounce can, which is a bit more than needed to replace the drained liquid.

    Seasoning

    You can use 1 tablespoon of Italian season to replace the basil, oregano, and thyme.

    Fresh herbs will add more flavor if you have them.

    Pasta

    The pasta should be short and generally have ridges of some type. A ditalini pasta which is short tubes with ridges is classic. Use what you have, but it should be small.

    The pasta should be cooked al denta and added at the end of cooking. This soup does not have a lot of free fluid, and adding uncooked pasta will be unpredictable.

    Pasta in a leftover soup can absorb fluid when stored. So if storing, try to reserve the soup you will be keeping and not add pasta.

    👨‍🍳How to Make Pasta e Fagioli Soup in a Crock Pot

    If you want to make a crock pot version of this soup, use a 5-quart or larger slow cooker.

    1. Brown the ground meat in a skillet, adding the onion and garlic for the last couple of minutes of cooking.
    2. Add everything but the pasta to the crock pot.
    3. Cook on low for about 6 hours (about 3 hours on high) until the vegetables are tender. It does not usually need longer since the components are cut small and the meat already cooked.
    4. Cook the pasta al denta and add the last 15-30 minutes of cooking.

    ❓FAQs

    Can I use gluten-free pasta in Pasta e Fagioli Soup?

    Yes, this makes a great gluten-free soup just by your choice of pasta. Since it is cooked and added at the end of cooking, any gluten-free or alternative pasta is a wonderful choice.

    Can I store soup with pasta?

    The pasta will absorb fluid from the soup during storage, and it will somewhat change the pasta texture and thicken the soup.

    It is preferred to store the soup without pasta, but sometimes it just doesn't work out, and you will need to add a bit of water or broth when reheating.

    What to serve with Pasta e Fagioli Soup.

    Top your soup with a bit of fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Crusty bread or breadsticks with a side salad will round out a perfect meal.

    ❄️Storage

    In the refrigerator, sealed airtight and store for up to 4 days. To freeze, sealed airtight in the freezer for 3-4 months.

    Reheating

    I always prefer reheating on the stovetop over medium heat, but a microwave will work. Add a bit of broth or water to adjust thickness, especially if stored with pasta in the soup.

    📖Italian Recipes

    Boursin Cheese Sauce with Chicken and Pasta

    Crock Pot Chicken Baked Ziti

    Easy Meatballs

    The Best Crock Pot Baked Ziti

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Italian Recipes, Soup Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    raw ground meat with soup ingredients

    The ingredients for this soup but pasta and the broth are not pictured.

    raw ground meat in a Dutch oven

    In a large pot like a Dutch oven, brown 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat.

    chopped vegetables on a black board

    While the meat is browning, dice one medium onion and chop three stalks of celery. Juline one large or 2 medium carrots. Mince 2 cloves of garlic.

    cooking vegetables with meat in Dutch oven

    Add the prepared veggies to the browned meat—cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

    rinsing white beans under running water

    Rinse one can each of red kidney and great northern beans.

    pouring rinsed beans into soup

    Stir in two 14 ½ oz cans of diced tomatoes, 15 oz can tomato sauce, 12oz of tomato or V8 vegetable juice, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon thyme. Add the rinsed beans and added a can of beef broth. Add the second can of broth if you want a little more of a soup texture. Simmer for 1 hour.

    cooking pasta in a pan

    Cook ½ pound of pasta al dente. After the soup has simmered for one hour, add the al dente pasta a simmer another 10 minutes before serving.

    bowl of pasta soup
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    📖Recipe

    Pasta E Fagioli Soup in spoon

    Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    This delicious Pasta e Fagioli Soup is an Olive Garden copycat that you can easily make at home on the stovetop or in your crock pot—loaded with beef, pasta, vegetables, and beans simmered in a rich, spicy tomato broth. It will become your new family dinner favorite.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 8 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 lbs ground beef
    • 1 onion - medium diced
    • 3 stalks celery - chopped
    • 1 carrot - large or 2 medium julienned
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 28 oz diced tomatoes
    • 15 oz tomato sauce
    • 12 oz tomato juice - or V8 vegetable juice
    • 1 teaspoon vinegar
    • 1 teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • 1 teaspoon basil
    • ½ teaspoon thyme
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 14 light or dark red kidney beans - Low sodium, rinsed
    • 14 Great Northern or Navy beans - Low sodium, rinsed
    • 14-28 oz beef broth - Low sodium
    • ½ pound pasta al dente - smaller pasta

    Instructions

    • In a large pot like a Dutch oven, brown 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat.
      raw ground meat in a Dutch oven
    • While the meat is browning, dice one medium onion and chop three stalks of celery. Juline one large or 2 medium carrots. Mince 2 cloves garlic.
      chopped vegetables on a black board
    • Add the prepared veggies to the browned meat—cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
      cooking vegetables with meat in Dutch oven
    • Rinse one can each of red kidney and great northern beans.
      rinsing white beans under running water
    • Stir in two 14 ½ oz cans of diced tomatoes, 15 oz can tomato sauce, 12oz of tomato or V8 vegetable juice, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon thyme. Add the rinsed beans and added a can of beef broth. Add the second can of broth if you want a little more of a soup texture.
      pouring rinsed beans into soup
    • Cook ½ pound smaller ridged pasta al dente. After the soup has simmered for one hour, add the al dente pasta.
      cooking pasta in a pan
    • Simmer another 10 minutes before serving.
      bowl of pasta soup
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    My Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. You can use Italian Seasoning (1 tablespoon) to replace the herbs in this recipe.
    2. Like all soups, you can vary the veggies and spices to your taste.
    3. This is a thick soup as written. I liked it better with the second can of broth.
    4. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
    5. Try to store without pasta, but if you do, you will need to add some fluid on reheat.
    6. Make this gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.

    To make in a crock pot:

    If you want to make a crock pot version of this soup, use a 5-quart or larger slow cooker.
    1. Brown the ground meat in a skillet, adding the onion and garlic for the last couple of minutes of cooking.
    2. Add everything but the pasta to the crock pot.
    3. Cook on low for about 6 hours (about 3 hours on high) until the vegetables are tender. It does not usually need longer since the components are cut small and the meat already cooked.
    4. Cook the pasta al dente and add the last 30 minutes.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories : 261 kcal (13%) | Carbohydrates : 33 g (11%) | Protein : 18 g (36%) | Fat : 6 g (9%) | Saturated Fat : 2 g (10%) | Cholesterol : 37 mg (12%) | Sodium : 731 mg (30%) | Potassium : 902 mg (26%) | Fiber : 4 g (16%) | Sugar : 8 g (9%) | Vitamin A : 1879 IU (38%) | Vitamin C : 23 mg (28%) | Calcium : 70 mg (7%) | Iron : 4 mg (22%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Soup
    Cuisine : Italian

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Originally Published January 5, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brian Mooney FRMS

      September 12, 2021 at 6:55 pm

      5 stars
      Let me comment as a recently-retired university life sciences/chemistry professor who taught for years at several institutions with well-known culinary programs.

      Rinsing the beans gets rid of a large proportion of oligosaccharides, a sugar which is readily fermented by the bacteria residing in the colon (large bowel). One fermentation product is gas.

      All childhood jokes about “musical fruit” aside, this gas is more than a polite social concern. Many people find the gassiness produces an uncomfortable, even painful distention of the bowel. Draining and rinsing the beans may do little to reduce sodium (just use “no salt added” beans) but oligosaccharides are readily water-soluble and thus can be rinsed away to a good degree. Simply place the beans in a bowl or colander and rinse under running cool tap water until all the canned bean liquid is gone. (Soaking for an additional short while in cool water will likely remove even more of the offending sugar.). The gassiness problem is now largely solved.

      If you are still bothered by gassiness, then “Beano” and similar enzyme-based products will likely be the best answer in addition to rinsing.

      Yet another lovely recipe in this amazing collection of wonderful recipes.

      Brian

      Reply
    2. Efghi's mommy

      December 27, 2019 at 10:06 am

      Happy holidays! This year has been all about food. Food for ME...and food for the fridge...I detest cooking and I don't like combining money with food. I've been through many "cheatsheets to success" for food ideas and finally have settled down with 1.)101 cooking for two 2.) Food Network website and app..for all of my adventures in the kitchen. Then...I decided I ate everything good! And wanted a baby! Then! I realized it's not time for baby. Hope you get the message ❤😚😙💭😍🍾🍾🍾

      Reply
    3. Alicia Bland

      October 14, 2018 at 10:00 am

      Looking forward to trying this and noticed that pepper and thyme are not on ingredient list.Made the broccoli cheese one last night-delicious and a big hit with my kids! Thanks!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        October 14, 2018 at 10:17 am

        Hi Alicia,
        Thanks for the proof-read. This recipe in is need of a buff-up of text and pictures and is on the list. I have put them in the ingredient list. As you know, they were in the instructions at least.
        Thanks again for the note.
        Dan

    4. Michael@Banquetssandiego

      February 20, 2015 at 6:41 am

      This was outstanding… Loved it. My family wanted the recipe.

      Reply
    5. Dr Dan

      January 13, 2013 at 9:22 pm

      I think I will rinse beans from a can more than from a jar. I don't know why. It does decrease the sodium some but not that much. I'm going to try to plan my cooking more and I want to do some dried beans soon.
      The soup was excellent but I will try to do half a batch or immediately freeze some if I do it again. It made a massive amount.

      Reply
    6. Chris

      January 13, 2013 at 7:42 pm

      That is one of the girls' at Alexis' work favorites. I made a version for them last year and they went nuts over it.

      I sometimes rinse beans, sometimes don't, depending on the bean and use. But it's probably a good practice to follow.

      Reply
      • Steve Roth

        October 07, 2014 at 12:16 am

        When I look at the gunk in the bottom of a can of soup beans that stuff makes me cringe. It also seems to have a peculiar odor (tin?) that I don't want reflected in my soup. Beans in a jar also appear cloudy. So, it is a matter of policy for me to drain, rinse, and drain. Repeat again, if need be.

        In any case, I will be making this soup in the very near future.
        Thank you.

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