Pasta e Fagioli delivers bold flavor with beans, beef, and pasta in a warm, delicious soup.
Try my other Olive Garden copycat recipes like Olive Garden Salad or Zuppa Toscana Soup.
Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli means “pasta and beans” in Italian, but in the U.S., it’s often called “pasta fasul.” To say it, try “pah-sta eh fazh-e-ohl-eh.”
This version isn’t fully traditional, but it’s hearty and full of flavor. It’s made with pasta, beans, ground beef, Italian spices, and a rich tomato base, and topped with Parmesan for a warm, comforting meal.
Quick Tip
The main difference between Minestrone and Pasta e Fagioli is that Minestrone has lots of veggies and sometimes beans, while Pasta e Fagioli usually has just onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes, beans, and often meat.
Ingredients In Pasta e Fagioli
- Carrots, Celery, Onion, Garlic: Dice small so they cook evenly
- Olive Oil and Ground Beef: Use good olive oil for flavor; lean beef works well.
- Dried Herbs: Adjust spices to your taste.
- Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Marinara Sauce: Fire-roasted tomatoes add depth; paste thickens, and marinara boosts flavor.
- Beans: Kidney and cannellini beans are my favorites, but use any kind you like.
- Beef Broth, Bouillon Cube, Bay Leaf: Add broth to your preferred thickness, crumble cube well, and take out the bay leaf before eating.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Stir in at the end to brighten the flavor.
- Ditalini Pasta: Cook on the side to keep it from getting soggy.
Quick Tip
Want to know my secret ingredient for this soup? I use Rao’s marinara (not sponsored!). It adds such a rich, delicious flavor!
How To Make Pasta e Fagioli
- Prep veggies: Dice carrots, celery, onion, and mince garlic.
- Cook veggies and beef: Cook veggies in olive oil until soft, then brown the beef.
- Add seasonings and liquids: Stir in herbs, tomatoes, beans, marinara, paste, stock, and bouillon.
- Simmer: Add bay leaf and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook pasta: Boil pasta, drain, and toss with vinegar.
- Serve: Stir pasta into soup or add to bowls; garnish as desired.
Variations
Try These Changes
- Meat: Swap ground beef for Italian sausage.
- Vegetarian: Use extra beans instead of beef and switch to vegetable broth.
- Pasta: Use a small pasta like orzo or elbow macaroni instead of ditalini.
- Greens: Add spinach, kale, or Swiss chard at the end and cook until soft.
What To Serve With Pasta e Fagioli
- Crusty bread or rolls for dipping.
- A simple salad with Italian dressing.
- Fresh fruit or this Winter fruit salad.
- Roasted veggies like Brussels sprouts or broccoli.
Storage
Let the Pasta E Fagioli cool before storing. Keep separate from pasta in sealed containers in the fridge for 4–5 days. If freezing, leave out the pasta; it can be frozen for up to 3 months. When reheating, warm it on the stove and add broth if it’s too thick. Cook pasta fresh and stir it in when reheating frozen soup.
More Soup Recipes
- Pasta Soup with Italian sausage
- Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with potatoes
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with spinach
- Creamy Vegetable Soup with loads of veggies
- Sausage Potato Soup “cheeseburger soup” with a twist!
Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat)
Pasta e Fagioli is a cozy, herb-loaded soup with beans, beef, and pasta—hearty, healthy, and perfect for chilly days!
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup diced carrots 3 carrots
- 3/4 cup diced celery 3 ribs
- 3/4 cup diced yellow onion 1/2 an onion
- 1 pound lean ground beef 93/7
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cloves
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can white beans cannellini beans or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-1/2 cups Rao’s marinara sauce
- 2 to 4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth see note 1
- 1 large beef bouillon cube
- 1 bay leaf
Add Later
- 3/4 cup ditalini pasta measured when uncooked
- 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar divided
- Serving suggestions see note 2
Instructions
- Dice carrots, celery, onion, and mince garlic.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes until softened. Increase heat to high and add the ground beef, garlic, salt, and pepper (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper). Let cook undisturbed for 30 seconds, then crumble and cook until browned, about 5–8 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients except for pasta and red wine vinegar. Crumble the bouillon cube into the soup. Start with 2 cups beef broth. Stir well, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- About 20 minutes before the soup is done, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a separate pot. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, then the ditalini pasta. Cook for 1 minute less than the package directions, drain, and toss with 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar. Set aside.
- If eating all the soup immediately, stir the pasta into the soup. If saving leftovers, add pasta to individual serving bowls to prevent bloating. Stir the remaining 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar into the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan and parsley, if desired. Serve hot.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: This soup is thick and hearty, more like a stew. For a thinner consistency, add 1–2 extra cups of beef broth.
Note 2: Serving suggestions: Top with fresh parsley, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or red pepper flakes for heat.
Storage: Let soup cool before storing. Keep separate from pasta in sealed containers in the fridge for 4–5 days. If freezing, leave out the pasta; it can be frozen for up to 3 months. When reheating, warm it on the stove and add broth if it’s too thick. Cook pasta fresh and stir it in when reheating frozen soup.
Slow Cooker Directions
- In a pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onions, carrots, and celery. Drain grease.
- Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and vinegar. Start with 2 cups beef broth. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on high for 3–5 hours or low for 5–7 hours.
- About 20 minutes before the soup is done, boil 8 cups of water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, then the pasta. Cook 1 minute less than package says, drain, and return to the pot. Toss with 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar and set aside.
- If eating all the soup at this meal, stir in the pasta. If you want leftovers, add pasta to individual serving bowls so pasta doesn’t bloat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar to Slow Cooker. Taste soup and adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls, garnish with Parmesan and parsley, if desired. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 48.3g | Protein: 23.9g | Fat: 6.5g | Cholesterol: 46.1mg | Sodium: 310.8mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7.1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sounds so good, can’t wait to make it! Please describe in detail the boullion cubes that you use, the link takes me to Walmartwebsite but does not show boullion of any kind. Thank you!
Thanks for catching that, I updated the link! 🙂 Enjoy!
This is one of my most favorite recipes – I’ve made it so many times I’ve lost count! I don’t add the pasta in because my husband avoids pasta, so I cook it separately and add it to my bowl. This will usually last the two of us a few days so it’s great to make when I want to plan for leftovers. The flavors are so great and better than Olive Garden!
Yay! Love hearing that; thank you Ashley! 🙂
This was excellent! I used Rao’s Arrabbiata Spicy Marinara and it gave the flavor a delicious boost. I didn’t find it to be overly spicy. Can’t go wrong with this one. Thanks Chelsea!
Yay!! So happy to hear this! Thanks Denise!