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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!
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)!
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, 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 minestrone uses several different veggies and 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 – If you want, you can add the chopped onions at this step too. The onions cook long enough to soften completely either way so it doesn’t really matter when you add them.
- Add remaining ingredients (except for the pasta) – Add the beef and all of the rest of the ingredients except for the pasta into the Crock Pot. If you add the pasta at this point it will get way too overcooked. Its best to add it at the end.
- Add the pasta – Cook the pasta only to al dente, drain, and then add it to the soup right before serving. That’s it! Add any toppings you like for garnish and serve.
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. Brown and drain the beef, and add it, along with all other ingredients besides the pasta, to a large pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender. Cook pasta according to package directions and add to soup before serving.
They are the same! Pasta Fazool is a nickname for pasta e fagioli that comes from New York Italians.
Make it a Meal
When we make Pasta e Fagioli soup we 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 breadtwists, garlic breadsticks, focaccia, or our delicious Italian Cheesy Bread recipe.
More Slow Cooker Soups to Try
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Video
Equipment
- Crockpot Slow Cooker
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.
I made this today and it is fabulous!! so easy and I agree with the other posts….it tastes just as good than olive garden!! Make sure you use a very large croc pot. it makes alot.
I’m going to make this this weekend only with ground turkey! It looks delicious!
Making this today…Had to transfer to my Nesco/roaster since I didn’t have room for the last 2 cups of beef stock…and I have a huge crock pot! Can’t wait to eat it tonight! (And tomorrow…and next month since we’ll be freezing 🙂
I have it all prepped and in the fridge so I can put in on in the morning, can’t wait to try it tomorrow night. Thank you for the recipe.
I made this soup yesterday, and it was delicious! I did it in a stock pot since I wasn’t sure it would fit in my crock pot. It does make a lot of soup, but when you work night shift and need to be able to just throw something in a container, it works well! The only thing I did different was instead of the separate veggies, I used 2 bags of frozen mirapoix blend that was pre-chopped. I also didn’t add the pasta to the whole pot as my dad doesn’t eat pasta. I just added it to the bowls so he didn’t have to pick around it. It was a hit with everybody. Will definitely make again!
This recipe sounds so good. I can’t wait to make it. I am going to buy everything I need to make it this weekend at the store. Thanks for posting it 🙂
I made this tonight was so good hubby really liked to made it in my crock pot i will be sure to make again and pass it on thank you
Made this for Sunday dinner after church, and it was a huge hit! Totally amazing 🙂 Super easy to make. A note of warning however, it makes A LOT! My 6 quart crock pot was full to the top and overflowing. I will probably half the recipe next time
Are the amounts for the oregano and parsley based on fresh or dried? Just want to make sure I don’t over do it. 🙂
Dried
I’ve got this simmering away in the crockpot as I type this. It smells delicious! My only complaint is the large amount this recipe makes. I didn’t cook all 2lbs of ground beef and have not added the noodles yet and the crockpot is filled to the rim. I’ll follow up and let everyone know how it tastes 🙂
Turned out absolutely delicious!
This recipe is huge! I’m making it right now and it doesn’t even fit in my crockpot. I’m going to have to dump it all in a big bowl and separate it out into two pots.
My husband loves this soup. It’s probably the best offering at Olive Garden. Think I’ll surprise him with this next week
I made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome! I cut the recipe in half and there is still tons leftover for the week. Thank you and I’m looking forward to purchasing your new cook book! Congrats!!
I made this about noon today & we just just had it for dinner this evening. I only had 1 carrot on hand so wasn”t able to shred the 3 called for in the recipe. I also decided to add a can of drained & rinsed black beans that I wanted to use up to the white & red kidney beans. I had macaroni in the pantry so just fixed enough to put a small handful in the bottom of each bowl before adding the soup to the bowl & then added some shredded parmesean cheese to the top of the bowl. My husband & I both agreed that we liked this better than regular chili. Since we now have enough to freeze alot of “Italian Chili”, we’ll be enjoying this frequently. We’ll just add enough pasta each time that we heat it up instead of freezing the pasta with the soup. Next time I will try to half the recipe & also use less pepper & tobasco than listed & have enough shredded carrots. Thanks for posting this excellent recipe!
I just made this and was out of canned kidney beans so I sustituted a can of pintos and a can of navy beans. It was still delicious! =)
I made this last night for 3 hungry men, and still have enough leftovers for them to eat again tonight. This makes a huge pot full! I did mine on the stovetop and added smokey bacon in with the hamburger for a added depth of flavor. I also added 2 minced garlic with the onion. I live in Switzerland and we don’t have Prego here, so I used a large jar (2 cups) of Italian herbed tomato sauce and 2 Tbls of Brown sugar with a generous handful of assorted Italian herbs. I cooked the pasta in the pot after adding all the liquids, but that meant I had to stand and stir frequently so they wouldn’t stick to the bottom. I will cook separately next time and then add to pot once cooked al dente and drained so it will soak up the flavors of the soup. It is a must to serve with a cut up a loaf of crusty bread with sweet butter. I set out a jar of homemade chili oil for those who like a bit more heat. I topped with fresh grated parmesan cheese and gouda. Loved this recipe!!!
I made this last night! Absolutely delicious, my husband had 3rds! Make sure you use a very large crockpot! This made so much that I’m going to freeze some of the leftovers. My husband called this ‘the same or BETTER than Olive Garden’s!!!’
This is my favorite Olive Garden soup, I can’t wait to try it. Thank you.
You could always do the recipe over the stove in a fraction of the time. But this recipe you can throw in a crock pot in the morning and have delicious dinner at night (where the flavors have been simmering together all day).
I am making this in a stock pot, my 6 qt crockpot wouldn’t hold all of the ingredients. Excited to try it tonight.
Hi Pat– what size slow cooker did you use? I use a 6 qt and it BARELY fits.
Sounds delicious! I can’t wait for San Diego to cool down so I can try this.
This is one my all-time favorite soups. My mom and I used to go to Olive Garden when I was a kid to get this soup, along with their salad and breadsticks of course. I can’t wait for Fall and cooler temps so I can add this one to my list of soup recipes I plan to make.
Thank you for posting this! This is my husband’s favorite soup! Can’t wait to try!
MY question is, “WHY would you use all if these wonderful, fresh ingredients and then add a jar of PREGO????…UGH
Here is a link to our homemade sauce that you can use instead if you would like! https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/homemade-spaghetti-sauce-with-fresh-tomatoes/
Yeah, that’s messed up. That’s why you make batches of sauce and then use the freezer. In fact, that’s why I bought a vacuum sealer system, so I can make up to a years worth at a time. It’s just as easy to make triple batch if you have a big enough pot.
And Olive Garden uses homemade sauce? Lmfao!