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A bowl of copycat Olive Garden pasta fagioli soup with the soup pot and a bowl of ditalini pasta in the background.
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5 from 5 votes

Pasta Fagioli Soup

This pasta fagioli soup layers browned ground beef, two kinds of beans, and tender vegetables in a rich tomato broth, the same comfort you'd get from a bowl at Olive Garden. It comes together in one pot in about an hour, with a tested slow cooker option for busy days.
Author: Nikki Lee
Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 1 cup carrot julienned
  • 3 stalks celery chopped, (1 cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 29 ounces petite diced tomatoes 2 (14.5 ounce cans)
  • 15 ounces can red kidney beans with liquid
  • 15 ounces great northern beans with liquid
  • 15 ounces can tomato sauce
  • 12 ounces V-8 juice
  • 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • ½ - 1 teaspoons black pepper or to taste
  • 1 ½ teaspoon thyme leaves or ½ to ¾ teaspoon ground thyme
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional (to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • ½ pound ditali pasta ½ package (or to taste if serving separately) - Use Gluten-Free for a GF soup

Instructions

  • Add the ground beef to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until it's no longer pink and nicely browned, breaking it up as it goes. (about 5-7 minutes) Remove the beef to paper towels to drain off fat, if needed.
    You may also move the beef to one side of the pan while cooking vegetables, if you have room and it's not overly greasy.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, if needed. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and sauté over medium-high heat until tender, about 4-6 minutes. Let the vegetables soften and turn fragrant.
    Then add garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.  During this last minute, add the spices: kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, thyme & red pepper flakes if using.
  • Add the ground beef back into the Dutch oven or slow cooker.
    Then, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, V8, kidney beans, great northern beans, and white vinegar and stir to combine. If you prefer to drain and rinse the beans, you can. If so, add about ½ cup of broth or water to the soup.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 40-60 minutes. This gives the soup time to get flavorful.
    SLOW COOKER: Cook in the slow Cooker on high for 2 to 4 hours or low for 4 to 8 hours.
  • Taste, and add salt and adjust seasonings to taste.
  • About 10 minutes before serving, cook the ditalini pasta according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander.
  • Add pasta to the soup or serve scooped into the soup individually.
  • Garnish with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley. Serve with garlic breadsticks and an Olive Garden Italian Salad.

Notes

I like to keep the pasta separate and add it to each individual bowl of soup, but you can add pasta to the large pot of soup.  This is great if you have leftovers, want to freeze, or if someone prefers to not eat the soup with pasta.
GLUTEN FREE 

GLUTEN-FREE PASTA FAGIOLI: This soup is naturally gluten-free when using gluten-free pasta. We love to use Barilla GF Elbow Pasta. You can also serve the soup without pasta. Always check your spices and canned goods to make sure they are labeled gluten-free!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 354 kcal | Carbohydrates: 38 g | Protein: 27 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g | Cholesterol: 50 mg | Sodium: 933 mg | Fiber: 11 g | Sugar: 8 g

Find it online:

www.soulfullymade.com/pasta-fagioli-soup/