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Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Close-up of a bowl of rich, tomato-based pasta e fagioli soup with ground meat, small pasta shapes, and beans.
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Make this hearty, Italian-American style Pasta e Fagioli soup at home. This easy, one-pot recipe tastes just like the Olive Garden favorite.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup small pasta (like ditalini or elbow macaroni)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

  1. Brown the ground meat in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Drain off any excess fat.
  2. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Add the basil, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes if you are using them. Stir to combine.
  5. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  6. Add the rinsed and drained cannellini beans and kidney beans to the pot. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
  7. Add the small pasta to the soup. Cook according to the pasta package directions, usually about 8 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Stir often to prevent sticking.
  8. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  9. Serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • For a thicker soup, mash about one-third of the beans against the side of the pot before adding the remaining beans.
  • You can substitute vegetable broth for beef broth to make this recipe vegetarian-friendly, omitting the ground meat.
  • This soup freezes well; cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://eatableempress.com/pasta-e-fagioli-copycat-olive-garden-soup/