Pasta Fagioli

Pasta Fagioli is filled with lean ground beef, beans, and pasta. In a way, it's an Italian-style chili. Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagioli has long been a favorite of mine, and I'm so happy to say this recipe is the best copycat version of it!

5 from 13 votes

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Course: dinner, dinner recipe, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Olive garden pasta fagioli, Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli, pasta e fagioli, pasta fagioli

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 25

Servings: people

Calories: 441kcal

Author: Tammy Overhoff

Equipment

5 1/2 quart dutch oven or soup pot
soup ladle
Mixing spoons
Souper Cubes or Storage Containers

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 carrots chopped into small pieces
3 celery stalks chopped into small pieces
1 onion chopped into small pieces
3 garlic cloves chopped into small pieces
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon thyme
1 pound lean ground beef
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups beef broth plus more if needed
1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can white kidney beans drained and rinsed
4 cups cooked ditalini pasta
grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a 5 ½ quart dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until onions are translucent; this step takes around 5 minutes.
Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Then stir the dried oregano, basil, and thyme into the cooked vegetables. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the spices are fragrant. This step helps to bloom the dried herbs, which gives them a deeper flavor.
Stir the tomato paste into the vegetables. This method helps to blend the tomato paste evenly into the vegetables and soup.
Next, add the ground beef to the soup pot and sprinkle it with salt. Cook until the beef is no longer pink. Break up the ground beef into small pieces as it cooks.
Into the soup pot, pour the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, red kidney beans, and white kidney beans.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes or until carrots and celery are soft. Add more beef broth if the soup gets too thick.
Serve with cooked ditalini pasta. You can add the pasta to the pot or add the pasta into a bowl and then ladle the soup over the top and mix.

Video

Notes

How to Store

To make ahead for the week.

Cook the pasta Fagioli on Sunday, leave the pasta on the side. Let the soup cool slightly, then spoon it into glass storage containers and refrigerator for five days. The pasta can be made ahead of time and stored in a separate container or bag in the fridge.

Reheat the soup on the stovetop or microwave and add in the pasta after the soup is hot.

To freeze.

To freeze the soup, simply make as directed in the recipe card but don’t add the pasta.

In my experience, soup freezes better without the pasta added to it. So, if you want to freeze this soup, leave the pasta out until you are ready to eat. Or you can add the pasta on top of the soup before freezing.

Then, ladle your Fagioli soup into freezer-safe lidded containers, label the date, and freeze. Make sure only to fill the container about ¾ full, as the liquid will expand as it freezes. You can also use silicone freezer trays, like Souper Cubes, to freeze into portions.

When you are ready to eat it, you can stick it in the microwave for a minute or two. It will become similar to a slushy texture at this point, so give it a couple of scrapes and stirs, then microwave it for another couple of minutes. Repeat until it’s fully warmed. You can also do this on the stovetop if you prefer.

Nutrition