Olive Garden Copycat Pasta e Fagioli is a hearty slow cooker soup made with seasoned ground beef, tender beans, vegetables, ditalini pasta, and a rich tomato broth. It’s an easy, comforting meal that’s loaded with flavor and tastes just like the restaurant favorite, making it perfect for chilly days or busy weeknights.
This is one of my favorite soups to make as soon as the weather starts to cool down. I love that I can toss everything into the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a hot, homemade dinner. Add a basket of breadsticks, and it feels just like an Olive Garden meal without leaving the house.
Why I love This Recipe
Ingredients:
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef: I like using lean ground beef so there’s less grease to drain, but any ground beef will work.
- Ditalini Pasta: Ditalini is the traditional pasta used in Pasta e Fagioli. If you can’t find it, small shells or elbow macaroni make great substitutes.
- Kidney Beans: Kidney beans add hearty texture and are a classic ingredient in this soup. Be sure to drain and rinse them before adding.
- Great Northern Beans: These beans become tender and creamy as they cook, giving the soup even more texture and flavor.
- Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce creates the rich base of the broth and gives the soup its signature flavor.
- Beef Broth: Beef broth adds depth and richness to the soup. I often use Better Than Bouillon mixed with water, but your favorite beef broth works just as well.
- Italian Seasoning: This blend adds classic Italian flavor without needing a long list of individual herbs.
- Carrots, Celery, and Onion: This combination creates the flavorful base that gives the soup its homemade taste.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds the best flavor, but garlic powder can be substituted if needed.
- Parmesan Cheese: I always like to sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan over each bowl just before serving. It adds the perfect finishing touch.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How To Make Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it is browned and crumbled.
- Drain any excess grease.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the slow cooker. Stir in the cooked ground beef, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and seasonings.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.
- Remove the lid and stir in the ditalini pasta.
- Cover and continue cooking for about 1 hour, or until the pasta is tender.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
Tips I Found Helpful
- I always brown the ground beef before adding it to the slow cooker. It adds much more flavor and gives the soup a better texture.
- I like to cook the pasta separately or add it during the last hour so it doesn’t become too soft.
- I rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the soup to remove excess sodium and improve the flavor.
- I use Better Than Bouillon mixed with water when I have it. It gives the broth a richer, deeper flavor.
- If the soup thickens after sitting, I simply stir in a little extra beef broth when reheating.
- I always serve this soup with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and warm breadsticks or crusty bread.
- This soup tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have had time to come together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Favorite
Sides to Serve With Pasta E Fagoli
More Soup Recipes
Olive Garden Copycat Pasta E Fagioli Slow Cooker Soup
This Slow Cooker Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup is a hearty copycat recipe made with seasoned ground beef, beans, vegetables, ditalini pasta, and a rich tomato broth. It's an easy slow cooker meal that's perfect for busy weeknights and tastes just like the restaurant favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 15 oz can cannellini beans
- 1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots cubed
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 32 oz beef broth
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp orageno
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it is browned and crumbled. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the cooked ground beef, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and seasonings.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.
- Remove the lid and stir in the ditalini pasta.
- Cover and continue cooking for about 1 hour, or until the pasta is tender.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Brown and drain the ground beef before adding it to the slow cooker for the best flavor and texture. Add the ditalini pasta during the last hour of cooking so it stays tender. If you're making this soup ahead of time or planning for leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl before serving to keep it from soaking up too much broth. If the soup thickens after storing, simply stir in a little extra beef broth while reheating until it reaches your desired consistency. Top each bowl with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve with warm breadsticks or crusty bread for the perfect meal. 🍲
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Yum! This Olive Garden copycat recipe looks great. I’ll be making this soon, just leaving out the celery! Thanks for sharing.
This recipe is so delicious. I’m making for the third time now. Definitely a crowd pleaser.
glad to hear it we love it also!
All recipes that I have and have seen call for draining and rinsing Cannellini Beans and Kidney Beans but I don’t see that in this recipe.
You can drain and rinse the beans if you wish