Home > Soup > Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat)

November 5, 2019

Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat)

Name: Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 medium carrots (diced into small cubes); 1 large onion (diced into small cubes); 1 stalk celery (diced into small cubes); 3 cloves garlic; 15 oz canned diced tomatoes; 15 oz tomato sauce; 32 oz chicken broth; 15 oz Great Northern beans (drained and rinsed); 15 oz Kidney beans (drained and rinsed); 1 cup ditalini pasta; 1 tbsp Italian seasoning; 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste); 1 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste); 2 tbsp fresh basil ((optional))

Pasta e Fagioli is a hearty, one-pot soup inspired by Olive Garden. Chock-full of beans, veggies, noodles and lean beef, this classic Italian soup is sure to win you over. Pair it with Soft Dinner Rolls and you have a very satisfying meal.

We love making restaurant favorites at home like Zuppa Toscana soup, Chicken Madeira (a Cheesecake Factory favorite) and of course Philly Cheesesteak.

Pasta e Fagioli Soup in a pot with serving spoon

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Pasta e Fagioli Recipe:

Hello everyone! Natalya here from Momsdish. I’m so excited to share my copycat recipe for Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli with you. I believe this recipe tastes better than the restaurant version. You will love this soup!

This hearty soup is the perfect candidate for meal prepping. It only requires one pot to make and it reheats amazingly throughout the week. It is also super filling and healthy.

What is Pasta e Fagioli?

In Italian, “Pasta e Fagioli” translates to “pasta and beans”. This makes a whole lot of sense considering this soup is chock-full of pasta and beans! It is also loaded with aromatic veggies and lean ground beef, making it a whole meal in a bowl. Think of Pasta e Fagioli as an Italian spin on chili!

Ingredients for soup with ditalini pasta, ground beef, beans, tomatoes and broth

How to Make Pasta e Fagioli

In a dutch oven or soup pot, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil at medium heat and brown your beef. Drain excess fat and set aside. Add a bit more olive oil to the pot and stir in garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Cook until tender.
Add in tomato sauce, canned tomatoes and beef. Stir to combine. Add your beans and chicken stock/broth. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
Add in pasta and Italian seasoning (dried oregano and thyme will work if you don’t have the spice blend on hand). Cook for 10 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step by step tutorial how to make pasta e fagioli by browning meat, adding vegetables, followed by tomatoes then seasoning.

Can I Substitute the Ground Beef?

You can substitute spicy, ground Italian sausage for beef. It will add a nice kick of heat! Also, don’t hesitate to use half beef, half Italian sausage.

Pro Tip: Have a parmesan rind lying around? Don’t let it go to waste and throw it into the soup pot alongside the broth. All the oils and salty-parmesan in the rind will meld with your broth and enhance the flavor. Just make sure you take the rind out before serving.

Pasta e fagioli with ground beef in soup pot garnished with basil

Storing Pasta e Fagioli

Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 5 days. The kicker? This soup tastes better and better as it marinates in the fridge. Yes, that means your leftovers will get tastier as the days go by! To reheat your soup, simply microwave it or bring it to a simmer in a pot over medium-high heat.

Can this Soup Be Frozen?

I wouldn’t recommend freezing Pasta e Fagioli. Generally, freezing soups with pasta is not a good idea. When the noodles defrost, they tend to turn to mush, ruining the texture of your soup.

Pasta e fagioli in small dish with spoon, ready to be covered and stored.

More Olive Garden Copycat Recipes:

Creamy Shrimp Pasta – plump shrimp in alfredo sauce
Zuppa Toscana – Natasha’s take on Olive Garden’s soup.
Alfredo Sauce – easy and done in 5 minutes! Perfect pasta or pizza sauce.
Minestrone Soup – classic soup never goes out of style. Serve it as an appetizer or a meal all on its own.

Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat)

5 from 17 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

pasta e fagioli in soup pot with serving spoon garnished with basil

Try Pasta e Fagioli and you will be coming back for seconds. This Olive Garden copycat soup recipe is loaded with delicious veggies and protein, being a true comfort food.

Author: Natalya Drozhzhin

Skill Level: Soup

Cost to Make: Italian

Keyword: pasta e fagioli

Cuisine: American, Italian

Course: Main Course, Soup

Calories: 204.7 kcal

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots diced into small cubes
1 large onion diced into small cubes
1 stalk celery diced into small cubes
3 cloves garlic
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
32 oz chicken broth
15 oz Great Northern beans drained and rinsed
15 oz Kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 cup ditalini pasta
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt adjust to taste
1 tsp black pepper adjust to taste
2 tbsp fresh basil (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

On medium heat, preheat a large pot or dutch oven with oil. Add ground beef and let it brown (3-5 minutes). As its cooking, be sure to break it apart into small pieces.
Remove cooked beef from the pot. Drain of excess fat and set aside.
In the same pot, add diced carrots, onion, celery and pressed garlic. Saute until the vegetables are softened (about 4 minutes).
Add canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef back to the cooking vegetables in the pot. Stir to combine together.
Add Great Northern and kidney beans to the mix. Pour chicken broth to the pot and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add pasta, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve right away with a sprinkle of basil or parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts

Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 204.7 Calories from Fat 37

% Daily Value*

Fat 4.1g6%

Saturated Fat 1.27g8%

Cholesterol 23.44mg8%

Sodium 487.45mg21%

Potassium 726.41mg21%

Carbohydrates 26.01g9%

Fiber 6.81g28%

Sugar 3.6g4%

Protein 17.33g35%

Vitamin A 1918.02IU38%

Vitamin C 8.17mg10%

Calcium 70.56mg7%

Iron 3.85mg21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclosure

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Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya is a food blogger who founded Momsdish.com to make cooking easier. Growing up on a farm in Ukraine, Natalya was inspired by the amazing dishes that were prepared using simple ingredients. Natalya is most notably known for making cooking approachable for any person.