Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat)
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.
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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!
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.
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.
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.
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)
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 canned Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz canned 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)
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 Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natalya Drozhzhin
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
This soup was super easy and DELICIOUS. My picky eater loved it.
I’m happy that you loved it, Jenny!
This is a wonderful soup! I made it on a cool fall day and it was perfect! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
You’re very welcome, Cheryl! Thanks for the feedback.
I make it all the time! Absolutely fantabulous! I do swap out beef stock for chicken stock. I also use a jar of chunky (tomato, onion &garlic) spaghetti sauce in place of the can of diced tomatoes. I never did follow directions well in school! Thank you so much for this recipe! I know I veered off a bit. Bon Appétit!
You’re very welcome! Thanks for sharing.
I’m not sure where I went wrong but mine was a bit thick and not soupy like yours. I thought I followed the recipe exactly.
Outstanding. For some reason I taste sausage rather than ground beef when we eat this soup at Olive Garden. Guess I could add sausage if I wanted to but would like to have it authentic. Which meat is it? Thanks.
Hi BB! We like to use ground beef, but yes, you can substitute it with other meat like Italian sausage.
I make the base ( meat, veggies and garlic) then freeze half for later. Defrost, then add broth, tomato, tomato sauce, beans, etc., works well for one person. Substituted Italian sausage for ground beef. Lovely recipe! Thank you!
Sounds good, thanks for the review! Happy to know that you liked this recipe a lot.
Can this recipe be cut in half?There are only two of us and freezing is not recommended.
Hi Kathy! Yes, you can. In the recipe card where the number of servings are listed, you use the servings level in the recipe card to decrease/increase the servings.
greap recipe, we freeze without the pasta, add the pasta at the time you eat it.
Sounds good, thanks for your review!
Just to clarify the recipe is for only one cup of cooked pasta? Thanks Sandra
Hi Sandra, yes, you can see on the ingredient list, we add one cup of pasta. I hope this helps.
Made it this am. Looks yummy!! Wish I could attach a photo! My sister in law loves Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli and today is her birthday that is why I made it. Thanks for alway providing great recipes. Havent tried one yet that I didn’t like!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Sandra! I recommend posting your photo on social media and using #natashaskitchen so we can see it!
Thank you for a great recipe! It was delicious and your pro tip to add the parmesan rind took it over the top!
Hi Michelle! Thank you. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Where is the video it looks so good love all of your recipes and the videos that shows how to made everything keep posting your short cuts.
Thanks
Mary
Hi Mary, I don’t have a video for this recipe yet but the written recipe has everything that you need to try this. I’ll take note of your suggestion for a video on this!
I love this soup. This time, sirloin tip was cheaper than ground beef, considerably. So, I diced it by hand. Worked great. I freeze portions, so I don’t put the pasta in the soup. I cook up pasta as needed as add to soup when it’s warming.
I’m so glad you loved it, Diana! I bet it was amazing with sirloin!
Your ingredients list says Chicken broth but the intructions says beef stock. I am sure either would be fine but which do you actually use?
Hi Bek! Can you point out to me exactly where you see this in the recipe? I see that one of my readers commented about using beef stock but my written instructions in the recipe card and the ingredients list both state chicken broth/stock. We use chicken, but either one would work. 🙂
I’ve made this delicious soup for years. I use clamato juice instead of chicken broth and Yamato sauce
Thank you for sharing, Tracey! So glad you love the recipe.
Your Beef Stew Recipe has been My favorite but after making this the other night it’s a toss up. I did substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef . Delicious!
Hi Tom! I’m glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing with us!
My husband (and I) LOVE this soup. I used Italian sausage instead of ground beef, and I plan to try this recipe again with ground beef, ground turkey… maybe even meatless. It’s that good.
Hi Ann! I’m happy to hear you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing with us.
I am good with all the ingredients but 1 just don’t care for kidney beans, they r just too big. Will sub the kidney beans with another kind of beans. Maybe just red beans.
Hi Kathy, I saw that others used chickpeas in place of kidney beans and liked it too!
I use a pound of dried great Northern beans…I cannot abide kidney beans at all.
I’m not a fan of chunks of tomato. If I leave out the diced tomatoes, should I add more tomato sauce to make up for it, or just leave as is? Thanks!
Hi Alice! You can blend the diced tomatoes to puree them.
Awesome recipe!!! Especially on a cold day in Florida! I added the pasta too soon but even though the pasta was mushy it still tasted great!! Thank you for this recipe.
You’re welcome, Joy. Thanks for the review!
I love this recipe and have made it many times. I have used ground beef or Italian sausage. So yummy with bread too. Thanks.
So glad you love it! Thank you for sharing.
This recipe showed up in my FB feed. I’m glad too bc Baby! It’s cold in Texas! haha, just a little. Everyone knows there are no wimps in Texas. I’ll be making it for dinner tonight. All your recipes are so delish! Thank you, Natasha!
I hope you love it, Lora! This dish is so special!
I freeze it and add the pasta after defrosting as I serve it. Delicious
Thank you for sharing! That’s a great idea.
Absolutely delicious fall favorite here.. Thank you for alway’s sharing such good and percisise instructions with all your recipes.. Always enjoy seeing your smiling face and positive attitude shine through on your videos too. I’m an old dog in the kitchen but alway’s enjoy a bright new take on some old and new recipies.. Thank you for all your time and efforts you put into this site..
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Vienna! Thank you for your great review!
This recipe provides a soup/chili dish that is a straight shooter and has upper management material. Deeeeelish. You know what? I think I WILL have that third bowl.
Go for it! So glad you’re enjoying this recipe!
Love it! I’ll make the soup & share a picture 💖 of the Pasta e Fagioli 💖
Yes, please do!
I live in Canada and I am just wondering what Great Northern Beans are? Thanks!
Joyce
Hi Joyce. It’s a type of white bean that is very popular throughout North America. We find this in our local grocery stores. They are great in chili, soups, and stews. You can use another white bean if you cannot find them specifically.
I used sweet Italian sausage and instead of tomato sauce I added my favorite marinara sauce. This turned out great. Will be making this again.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Connie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is the absolute best! I make it often and my family loves it. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
You’re welcome, Linda! Great to know that your family loves this recipe. I hope they will enjoy all the recipes that you will try for them.
Really delicious even though I have to use regular sausage because of allergies in the family!! This is really really close to the Olive Garden!
Glad to hear it was enjoyed! Thanks for sharing, Nita! 🙂
My god I’d this good! I’ve made it before using a different recipe and different spices. This is so much better. This went in my recipe book. I’ll be making this forever. I use Italian sausage no ground beef. I like the kick it gives it. I’m sure my hubby will love it too. I did make the pasta so we can add it and I can freeze the rest cause it’s just the 2 of us here and I’d hate to waste any if it. Thanks for a awesome recipe!
Hi Lori! I’m so glad to hear that you found a keeper! Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
I took your advise and substituted Italian sausage for ground beef and boy was I glad. So much flavor with a spicy flare. Delicious! My family is begging me to make more! Thanks Natasha for sharing another dinner favorite!
You’re so welcome, Jacky! Thank you for the review
This might be silly question but do I cook pasta before adding to soup?
Hi Andrea! I add the pasta to the soup dry and let it cook for 10mins at the end (see step 6).
Insanely good!! Just made this…substituted ground turkey for beef and not sure I can even tell the difference while it’s a smidge healthier.
Oh…and I made a double batch because most times recipes don’t make enough for leftovers; you don’t need to do that with this one. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it with turkey, Darren! Thank you so much for sharing that outcome with me!
I have been making a copy cat recipe of Pasta Figioli for years and it’s really good! Very similar to this recipe except it calls for 12oz of V8 juice which I think makes all the difference in the flavor
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Whitney! I hope you try my version soon!
Ok I made this but swamped ground beef for hot Italian sausage and wow what a tasty treat. I left out the noodles completely from the main dish so I could freeze the leftovers and added noodles only for those who wanted them.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
I never add pasta to the soup. It renders leftovers to mushy, flabby pasta, and soaks up all the broth. Use the cooked pasta when serving each dish.
this is better than olive garden. so so good I even made the olive garden copycat breadsticks with it and my husband says who needs Olive Garden when I have you and it way cheaper lol
Thanks Natasha
Hi Tanya! So glad it was a hit. Thank you for sharing.
I brown the meat and then put it all in a crockpot. Perfect for Sunday lunch after church!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Made this yesterday for the first time. Very, very tasty. This recipe will definitely be made again.
Awesome! Thank you for the good review, Jan.
After making this several times and sharing several times, I realized that I should give credit to this recipe. This is a simple, substantial soup. This soup and a salad is all you need. Enjoy!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Maggie!
This was delicious! Will be making for the second time in 2 days because my family wants more. Thank you!
Great to hear that, Gayle!
Delicious! Thank you for posting all these fabulous recipes.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Julie!
All I can say is OMG! Made it exactly as written. A little parmigiana sprinkled on before serving and a crostini on the side. Thank you for this easy and scrumptious dinner!
You’re most welcome, Jane. Happy to know that you enjoyed this recipe as it is!
Making this right now and I can’t wait to eat it.
Can you please do a video, I just love Watching you cook, thanks
I hope it becomes your new favorite, thank you for your suggestion.
Sorry for the late response.. it was soooooooo good… Also, my baby loved it so much that he kept asking for more ❤️
Wonderful to hear that, Crys. Thank you for the review!
Excellent!! Nothing more to say. I followed the recipe and it came out wonderfully delicious. I knew it would. I adore all your recipes. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
I’m using Italian style diced tomatoes instead of regular tonight hope it’s not over burden with it!! Love this recipe have made it a ton with mild Italian sausage
I hope you love it, Brittany!
I just made this and its great. It’s amazing on this cold rainy day and was very easy to make with your instructions. It was a big hit with the husband. Thank you!
Yay, that’s awesome feedback. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jessica. I’m glad it was a hit!
Hearty and yummy! Natasha, is this soup supposed to be sour/tangy from all the tomato products??I feel like mine turned out a little too sour from the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes…any input is appreciated!!
Hi Alena, it could be the brand of tomato products used – some can seem more acidic than others. One thing that I have had success with is adding a little sugar as we did in our tomato soup recipe. It works well to balance the acidity.
I made this and it was delicious! I used mild Italian sausage instead of ground beef. Definitely a recipe I’ll make again!
I’m glad you loved it, Sandra!
I made this and it was a hit with myself and the family. I will definitely make it again.
Thank you for your review, Regina. Good to hear that it was a hit!
Hi,… can this be made in the crockpot instead? I imagine so? 🙂 excited to try!
Hi Kristie, I haven’t tested that in a slow cooker to advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Delicious! Instead of ground beef, I used Italian sausage. Very hearty, satisfying and easy to make! New fave!
Hello Maria, glad you loved it, and good to know that it works great with ground beef too!
I made this tonight and it’s delicious. I cooked the pasta separate. I will add it when I serve the soup. There’s only two of us. I plan on freezing the extra in quart containers. Your recipes are always winners.
Sounds like a good plan, Chrissy. Thank you for your review, I’m happy to know that you’ve been enjoying my recipes!
Can you use beef or vegetable broth? My husband has chicken allergies.
HI Nancy, those should both work fine. I hope you love the soup.
Can I omit the beans? I dont like the texture? Any substitutions?
Also, can I cook the noodles and set it aside? When I use your chicken noodles soups cooked with the noodles, it got all soggy and soaked up all the broth
Hi there, I imagine that will both be fine. Please share with us how it goes if you try that.
This sounds and looks great but what are Great Northern Beans???
Great Northern Beans are white beans. You can use cannellini if those are easier to find.
Great Northern Beans are white beans. You can use cannellini if those are easier to find.
I made this and right before I added the pasta I divided in half in a ziplock bag and froze it. I put on the bag what it was and to add noodles. Then of course we spent 3 days eating the rest of it. Fast forward a couple of months later I pull the ziplock out, let it defrost, throw it in a pot and add vegetables and it was incredible, again!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Edna! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
What is the serving size? I see the number of servings 12 but not the the serving size that represents the 204.7 calories.
Hi Jean, the nutrition label is per serving. So if the soup serves 12, each serving will be 204.7 calories. The nutrition label is an estimate but should be fairly accurate.
Hi Natasha, I make so many of your recipes, thanks for what you do. My girlfriend doesn’t eat beef so I make this with a mixture of Italian Sausage and Turkey and it is fantastic!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, J.R.!
How much is a serving in grams?
If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. I didn’t measure each serving by weight so I’m not sure how much each weighs but this recipe serves 12 people.
Do I need to drain the beans for the Fagioli soup ?
Hi Mary, yes the beans are drained and rinsed.
Having worked for the company for a long time this recipe is very accurate. The only technical change would be beef broth instead of chicken, and it will be almost a perfect copy cat of the original.
Thanks for your good comments and suggestion, Steven. I will try that next time.
Beef broth with Italian sausage OR beef broth with ground beef?
I only taste ground beef in the O.G. Soup, and am trying to figure out where the heat comes from. Cayenne?
I make this soup without the pasta and can it in pint or quart jars glass with my pressure cooker. When it’s time to eat it, I add 1-2 cups of broth , heat it to boiling and add the pasta. This also works if you want to freeze it.
Sounds good, thanks for sharing that with us, Erin.
This is always a favorite in my house. I usually freeze half before I add the pasta for a quick dinner another night. I don’t drain or rinse the beans; just throw it all in! I also use 2 cans of V8 juice instead of the chicken broth. To reheat, you may need to add a bit of water as the pasta will soak up a lot of liquid in the fridge. Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Kelly. Glad you always enjoy and love this recipe!
More a question. Is there ya way to keep pasta from continuing to soak up the fluid
Hi Amy, you may just add the pasta when you’re ready to serve it
Can you freeze this? If so, how long does it keep?
Hi Kesia, that will work. I saw this comment from someone else too “Regarding freezing. If you make a large batch that you will not be consuming all within the week & want to freeze some, I suggest before you add the pasta that you divide the sauce & freeze. Now you can add the appropriate amount of pasta to your current pot. The frozen sauce for later, add the appropriate amount of pasta to the reheated sauce at time.” Hope that helps.
Hi Natasha!
I absolutely watching your cooking videos.
I have frozen my pasta fagioli.
I do everything to make my soup, except I don’t add my pasta until I heat my soup to serve.
Once heated, I add my cooked pasta.
Sounds good! Thanks for watching my videos and I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try.
First time trying it! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! A ridiculously fast recipe. Everybody was around the dining table waiting anxiously to have some! Baked some french bread to go with it. Bomb.com Thanks Natasha!
I can imagine the excitement, Anna! I’m glad it was a hit, thanks for sharing that with us and for giving the recipe a great review!
Hello from Tuba City AZ. Thank you so much for you time. To teach us a new recipe.
You’re welcome, Martin! I’m so happy you’re enjoying our recipes!
Excellent flavor! Easy! Delicious! Every time I make it! Follow recipe exactly! The parmesan rind is awesome tip!
Thank you for the wonderful review, Lynn! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Delish!! Made it recently and again today. We love it. The flavors are perfect and the soup comes together easily.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Robin!
Can this soup be put in the freezer?
You may put the soup in the freezer. Someone shared this in the comments “Since the pasta goes mushy when frozen, I remove half of the soup to the freezer just before the pasta goes in. I then use half the pasta in the remaining soup and the other half in the frozen portion when I reheat it. We eat this soup often.” Hope that helps.
I also freeze before adding pasta. Remove from freezer for a future meal, cook pasta and add to soup!! Delicious and just right for a single person.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Susie!
Can I substitute ground turkey for beef
Hi Cynthia, I haven’t tested that, but I imagine that should work.
Two thumbs up!! And I do like the soup with BEEF ADDED!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I finally got around making The Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat) recipe. It was so good. My husband and I both enjoyed. Think next time I will make a pot and split before adding pasta. That way I can freeze for another dinner night. Just make fresh pasta and add. Thank you for recipe!
Yes, that sounds like a great idea. I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Linda!
This soup is fantastic! Simple ingredients. Easy to make. Super-satisfying on a cold February Saturday.
I added a big handful of baby spinach at the end for some extra green in my diet.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is so close to my grandma’s recipe. I just love it! Thank you so much for sharing with all of us.
Your recipes have really inspired me to cook more over the past year or so and have given me a lot of confidence! I’m looking forward to trying many more of your recipes – trying to make something new every week at the very least!
Take care!!
I’m so glad to hear that, Kelli! Yay, it’s good that you found and loved this recipe. Thanks for your awesome review too.
Hi, I am looking forward to trying this but don’t care for kidney beans, what others would you recommend?
Hi Nichole, I saw that others used chickpeas in place of kidney beans and liked it too!
This soup is amazing. Natasha you never disappoint. The only change I made is after doubling the recipe I used 1-1/3 lbs of ground beef instead of using 2lbs. We really love this; one of the best soups I have ever made. Thanks!!
Hello Janine, so wonderful to hear that! Thank you so much for your awesome feedback.
I made this tonight in the instant pot! Followed recipe as is minus the 10 min simmer and 10 min cook. Instead pressure cooked it in my instant pot for 8 minutes and it was great! I also added 1/2 tsp of crushed pepper flakes for some warm heat.
Hi Karol, nice one! Thank you for sharing some tips with us, we appreciate it!
HI Karol, I had the same idea to cook in instant pot but didnt try yet. I had multi function cooker where sotte is possible. What about a pasta? Did you cook it separetely and then add into final meal?I was thinking about cooking this meal in slow cooker, it could work too. Thank you.
Hi Lucy- I put the uncooked pasta right in, stirred it then set the instapot to high pressure for 8 minutes. Then quick release the pressure. If you leave it longer or let the pressure natural release the pasta will be overcooked.
This looks and sounds great! Wish to make. Do I drain beans and rinse OR just pour both straight out of the can into the soup?
Hi Anne, Please see this note in the recipe, “15 oz canned Great Northern beans drained and rinsed, “15 oz canned Kidney beans drained and rinsed” I hope that helps.
Turned out excellent!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
You might say 15 oz CAN of both Kidney and Northern so some dummy like me doesn’t use dry !
Hi Mark, Oh my goodness I didn’t realize it didn’t specify the “canned.” I have updated that to clarify. I’m sorry about that.
Can I use my crock pot for this?
Hi Diane, I haven’t tested that in a slow cooker to advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
I use it for boiling beans (I buy dried ones, cook once and freeze for several weeks).
For the main part of the recipe need hot temp. cooking at stove.
Not only do l love your recipes, you put a smile on my face every time I watch your videos.Keep doing what you’re doing please!
You’re so nice! Thank you!
Regarding freezing. If you make a large batch that you will not be consuming it all within the week & want to freeze some, I suggest before you add the pasta that you divide the sauce & freeze. Now you can add the appropriate amount of pasta to your current pot. The frozen sauce for later, add the appropriate amount of pasta to the reheated sause at time.
Thank you for sharing your tips on freezing this!
Nobody beats my pasta e fagioli. Everyone that’s had it asks for the recipe. I’ve had Olive Gardens. It stinks. And there’s no beef in that soup. Pasta e fagioli means pasta and beans….no meat!
Btw, I love your recipes, but I can’t like this one. I made your chicken marsala tonight. Yummy!
No worries but good to know that you liked the Chicken Marsala!
Hi Natasha! You bring so many smiles to my face with your videos! Love all of your recipes. This one, however, I felt lacked a bit of flavor. So I did add a beef bouillon cube, seasoned salt, and some additional crushed tomatoes. That seemed to help. Thanks for bringing joy to my world!
Hi Julie, thank you for your sweet words. Did you possibly use low sodium chicken broth? In that case, a little extra salt or a bouillon cube is definitely a good idea. Thanks for sharing that tip – I bet it was even better with the bouillon.
Hi Do you add the pasta un cooked ?
Yes, that is correct.
Love your videos! I tried the Pasta e Fagioli tonight for dinner. My husband and I both loved it. Our only negative comment is that we thought it had way too much Italian seasoning in it. Next time I plan to cut that in half. I did substitute elbow macaroni for the ditalini pasta and had to substitute cannellini beans for the great northern beans since I didn’t have either of those two ingredients on hand. I’m thinking of trying your broccoli cheese, potato, and corn chowder soups in the future.
Thanks for your comments and feedback, Barb. Thanks for sharing the substitutes that you used and that sounds like a good idea. Please feel free to amend the recipe according to your preference. I hope you love every recipe that you will try!
I made this the other night and it was a huge hit. Loved the flavor and the easiness of the recipe. thank you,
Hello Cathy, you are so welcome. I’m happy that you enjoyed this recipe!
I followed the recipe to the letter; the soup is good, but sadly not the claimed soup from Olive Garden.
Hi Alex, I always feel homemade is better because of better quality ingredients.
Hi Alex, I too love the soup and have made it many times over the years and get close enough. The key is to develop some flavors. Olive Garden, just like Wendy’s (chili) uses left over cooked beef which already has a flavor profile. So did old school cooks – stews are leftover cooked meat with fresh veg to liven them up. Cooking everything fresh will not bring richness.
1. Take 25% of the ground beef and cook in a cast iron skillet with 25% of the chopped onions until reduced down to REALLY dark crumbles. NOT burnt, takes some time. This develops a richer flavor.
2. Use beef STOCK and not chicken to further richen the flavor.
3. Kick up the amount of garlic for that familiar tang.
4. I cooked the pasta el dente first, recipe didn’t say.
5. Salt/pepper remaining meat in chunks under the broiler in the oven for a grilled richness, doesn’t take long.
Give it another try… the ingredient given are spot on…
This is a delicious and hearty soup!
I’m happy you enjoyed that Paula! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me!
Does it seem like a lot of celery once it’s all cooked? One stalk seems like a lot.
Hi Stephanie, we didn’t think it was too much but you are welcome to add less.
Does this taste like olive garden’s soup?
You should try it but I personally think that homemade is so much better.
Ok, thank you.
I definitely will try it.
Looks so yummy in the pictures!!
Hi Stephanie! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for that awesome feedback!
I just made this soup.. i exchanged the beans with a 32 oz jar of 16 bean that i had canned. I then canned the remaining soup.. (without the noodles). I had one jar which didn’t seal and was worried the flavor would change thru the canning process… OMG!! It was so good.. even without the noodles. I will be making more of this soup just to can for this winter.. thank you for sharing the recipe
It is so wonderful to read your awesome comments and feedback, Joni. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing that with us, we appreciate it.
I made the pasta soup and it came out very delicious. Thank you for your recipe.
You are most welcome. Thanks for sharing your good feedback!
This is the first I ever made soup from scratch. My husband loved it. It made so much I gave some to my Mom and some to my neighbor. Rave Reviews!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me, Darlene!
First time making this soup, it is absolutely delicious!!!! I used pinto beans and navy beans.
Thankyou Natasha for sharing this amazing recipe!
You’re welcome, Linda! I’m so happy you’re enjoying this recipe!
What’s a good substitute for northern beans.
Hi Maha, sorry but I haven’t tried any other substitute to advise.
Cannalini
Great soup- I had been making something similar but w/beef broth. I think the chicken broth is an improvement. I did add a little spinach and mushrooms. Will make again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I stopped including pasta in my soups while cooking. I cook the pasta separate and add to the soup bowl before adding the soup. The pasta absorbs too much of the soup liquid. It might be a small extra step but worth it.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Kathy!
That is the best way to do the pasta. On top of that, I cook the pasta in chicken broth for more flavor. The throw it in the soup!
Thank you for sharing that with us Carol!
Just made your delicious soup! Amazing! Thank you for an easy and wonderful recipe! So nourishing and flavorful! I love your videos and can’t wait to try more recipes!
You are very welcome, Mollie. It’s so great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Natasha & Natalya,
If I were to use a flavored tomato sauce from Barilla, which one would you recommend?
I’m planning to make this dish this weekend, and I was thinking of using the basil sauce from this brand or do you have a better recommendation?
Thank you!
Hi Mali, without testing this using a flavored tomato sauce, it’s difficult to guess. I would think if it is a basil tomato sauce, the flavor would be complimentary and would work.
Hi natasha Can you please tell me how to use new cast iron pot or how to season cast iron pot and which pots and pans you recommend please I really need your advice can you make a video tutorial on it I will be very thankful to you
Thank you so much for that suggestion! I do have that on my list!
Easy and Delish!
This is the soup I always get at Olive Garden so I was so excited when I saw this recipe! I made it tonight exactly to recipe and it was delicious!! Honestly, as good if not better than Olive Garden! The only thing I needed was their breadsticks! Lol! My boyfriend said to add more broth next time – he likes lots of broth. Other than that he loved it too! Thank you for the great recipes! I have made many of them!
I so love your comments and great feedback. It’s so inspiring and it really makes me happy that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
What is a serving size? I’m on WW and was wondering.
Thank you
Hi Deborah, the serving size is in the recipe card along with the estimated nutrition label.
This is the soup I always get at Olive Garden so I was so excited when I saw this recipe! I made it tonight exactly to recipe and it was delicious!! Honestly, as good if not better than Olive Garden! The only thing I needed was their breadsticks! Lol! My boyfriend said to add more broth next time – he likes lots of broth. Other than that he loved it too! Thank you for the great recipes! I have made many of them!
My grandmother always tossed her cooked noodles with a small amount of warm oil, then added them to the soup.
My mom just kept the cooked noodles in a separate container.
Either one works from stopping the pasta from absorbing the broth.
I love this recipe! Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Elaine! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I made your pasta e fagioli today and it was awesome. My daughter kept telling me how great it was after just about every bite, and then when she was done, she told me that I should hang a picture of you in our kitchen to pay homage to you every time we cook one of your recipes. How great of a compliment is that! I love that my daughter loves your food. Thanks for the recipes!
Angelo Donadio
HAHA that is the best!! Thank you for putting a big smile on my face with that thoughtful comment!
Hello Natasha, I love your recipes and your bubbly personality and how are you are on camera. This is the second time I’ve made the recipe; however, this time I made it all in the instant pot. I added all ingredients except Parmesan cheese and the pasta to the instant pot after browning the ground beef and sautéing veggies, set IP manual for 4 then quick release, then added pasta for another 5 minutes on manual. Then natural release for 15 minutes. Came out perfectly all in one pot. Thanks for the great recipe.
That is awesome Keith, thank you so much for sharing your process with us! That’s very useful info especially for others who also wants to do the same process.
Loved this recipe. The deviation we did was instead of 1 Tbsp of italian seasoning, we added the individual seasons instead (thyme, rosemary, basil, marjoram, oregeno) and the flavors really popped!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
How much of each seasoning did you use?
The soup was delicious I’ll definitely make it again. Thank you for the recipe!!
I hope you love it! Thank you for that feedback!
Great, hearty soup! Improvised with items in my pantry. Good for the freezer, just add the pasta (gluten free for me) when you’re heating up your soup.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Carolynn. Thank you for giving a great review!
Thanks for another great recipe. I used elbow pasta. We all loved it as usual, Always looking forward to your recipes.
You’re welcome Wendy! I’m so glad you enjoyed that.
I used small elbows…..had the item for lunch many years ago at the Sacramento restaurant.
I like to nibble on a stick of dry parmesan while eating the soup
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Will make tomorrow, never heard of this pasta and could not find at Safeway, What other pasta will work.. Love all your recipes.
I Wendy, another pasta should work – elbows, mini farfalle, and orzo work. Some readers even substituted it with rice.
So love this soup!!! I’m going to convert to cook in my IP but stumped on how long to cook? 20 minutes? Then add pasta at end and cook for 1 minute. Thx!
Hi Mary Beth! I have not tested that to advise but it sounds like it may work. If you experiment please let me know how you like the recipe.
Hi,
Sorry for the stupid question but do you have to cook the pasta before you add it to the soup?
Hi Sue, the pasta was not pre-cooked. It cooks during the last ten minutes.
Ok thank you. The soup is delicious by the way.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Hi Natasha. Why chicken broth and not beef broth. Wouldn’t beef broth give it more flavor?
Hi Sherry, we loved it with chicken broth. If you experiment with beef broth I would love to know how you liked that!
Hi Natasha,
This looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it. What do you think of adding barley instead of pasta? Will it work in this recipe?
Thanks,
Luba.
That’s a great question, Luba! I have not tested that to advise but it sounds like it may work. If you experiment please let me know how you like the recipe.
Made this last night, and it is delicious. I will cook vegetables a little longer next time, though. I sauteed mine quite awhile, but some we’re still a little too crunchy!
Great recipe! Since the pasta goes mushy when frozen, I remove half of the soup to the freezer just before the pasta goes in. I then use half the pasta in the remaining soup and the other half in the frozen portion when I reheat it. We eat this soup often.
That’s a great idea, Donna! Thank you for that awesome review!
What is the green garnish in your pictures? Is it parsley?
Hi Eve, yes it is parsley.
I see the recipe calls for 1 stalk celery…. is that right? Or does it mean 1 rib/stick of celery?
Thanks
Hi John, that is correct.
Thanks for sharing this. This recipe will become a staple in our home…this soup is soooo hearty, delicious and such a wintertime “comfort food”. Everyone gives this 5 stars!!
Thank you for the wonderful review, Linda!!
We really love this soup!! I used to buy it with the recipe with dried beans in a bag. Sorry to say, they don’t sell it anymore, So, I’m so happy that you put this one online!! I will be using dried beans in all of the recipes. Please let me know the difference in how to make this if possible & in a crockpot. My other question is that I have some fresh mushrooms, what would you think about adding them to this recipe. Thank You for your help.
Hi Connie, I haven’t tested that in a slow cooker to advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Hi Natasha!
I’m a huge fan of all your recipes and you have never steered me wrong. Love everything you make!!
For the pasta in this, do you put it in dry and let it cook in the soup or cook it before hand and then add it? I know pastas can be wierd in soups and stews sometimes.
Thanks!!
Hi Lianne, you add the pasta un-cooked in step 6 and it cooks with the other ingredients. It’s added at the end for that reason – you cook it until the pasta reaches your desired doneness.
I just love your recipes and make a lot of them! Not kidding and they are always very good. I will be making this soon. Thank you
Thank you for the wonderful review!
Natasha, I have made more than 25 of your recipes to date (many, numerous times each), and they are all delicious . . . this one was no exception. I made a double batch (my only substitution was using ground turkey instead of the beef). An impromptu invititation to my elder sons and accompanied by some simple “7-Up Biscuits”, dinner was great. Thank you for all you do and share!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!!
I was wondering if I could substitute turkey instead of using beef. Thanks Scott for your comment.
Instead of ground beef, can I use an equal amount of stew meat?
Hi Betty, I haven’t tested that but I imagine that should work.
This soup is surprisingly easy! Totally delicious. Thanks for the Parmesan rind tip! I’m going to try it!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe, Laura!
Natasha, this soup looks so delicious! I can wait to make it tonight. Thank You!
I hope you love it, Luba!
Use chick peas in place of the kidney beans. Add a leafy green. Traditionally it would be Escarole or chicory. Don’t use strong flavored greens like Kale. In a pinch you could use Spinach. We skip the meat. But my grandmother (from Italy) used ham.
Super great family meal. Some crunchy bread and a salad Yum
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Suzann!
Natasha, I love your recipes & have tried many of them. They are always great! Thank You for doing such amazing job! This soup looks delicious & I am planning to make it tonight.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! You’re so nice!
Hey Natasha! This looks like fall in soup-from! So comforting!
I was wondering, if I were to make this in my slow cooker, what would be the directions for that?
Keep smiling and keep cooking!
Hi Nazish, I haven’t tested that in a slow cooker to advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
This was so tasty and actually pretty easy to make too! Can’t wait to try it again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Yum! I made this on Sunday and it was a huge hit with my family. I’ll be making it again for sure.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
One of the most flavorful soups! Glad I can make it at home! Thank you!
That’s just awesome, Natalie! Thank you for that great review.
I made this soup this weekend but as a vegetarian, omitted the beef and subbed in veggie stock and 1/2 a bag of frozen chopped spinach. It’s truly flavorful and delicious – So simple and versatile! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Sue! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
I can’t wait to make this tonight! My one question is, can you use an immersion blender to make this a little thicker??
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Pasta e Fagioli is such a great comfort food dish for chilly weather. Yours looks great.
Isn’t it the best! Thank you for that compliment, Valerie!
Hi Natasha,
Lovely recipe and pictures, can’t wait to try to make it. I was wondering if it’s possible to omit the pasta? If yes, then what else might I have to also leave out or use less of? Thank you.
Hi Irina, you could leave out the pasta but it will be a little juicier since the pasta absorbs some of the liquid. I think it would still be a tasty vegetable soup. You could even use a little rice if you wanted it heartier or just add a little more veggies.
As I am on diet to loose some more weight, I removed pasta and the taste is great!
More, I cook in advance and freeze some jars (filled 75%) – perfect for my busy days or take to my job as lunchboxes.
I have no issues to eat this 2-3 times per week, each week.