Pasta e Fagioli is a hearty, herb-packed soup with beans, ground beef, and pasta. This heartwarming soup is healthy, filling, and the perfect meal for a chilly day!
Try our other Olive Garden copycat recipes: this Olive Garden Salad or this Zuppa Toscana Soup.
Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli is a traditional Italian soup. Translated from Italian it means “pasta and beans” and is often called “pasta fasul” in the United States. As far as how to say it: say “pah-sta eh fazh-e-ohl-eh.”
The version I’m sharing today is not an authentic Italian soup, but it’s a comforting and hearty soup with pasta, beans, and ground beef. It has Italian-inspired dried herbs, lots of tomatoes, and is finished with a hearty dose of Parmesan cheese.
The Difference Between Minestrone And Pasta e Fagioli
While Pasta e Fagioli is similar to Minestrone, there are a few differences.
- Minestrone has a lot of different veggies; Pasta e Fagioli typically just has mirepoix (a combination of finely chopped onions, celery, and carrots) and tomatoes — no other veggies.
- Minestrone doesn’t always include beans (though it usually does) and doesn’t include meat.
Ingredients In Pasta e Fagioli
- Mirepoix (chopped carrots, celery, and onion) and garlic create a tasty, aromatic base.
- Olive oil helps cook the mirepoix and meat.
- Ground beef brings a rich, filling taste.
- A mix of salt, pepper, oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, and thyme seasons the soup.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a smoky flavor.
- Kidney and white beans make the soup hearty with protein and fiber.
- Tomato paste and marinara sauce give a deep tomato flavor.
- Beef stock and a bouillon cube create a flavorful liquid.
- A bay leaf adds a subtle background note.
- Red wine vinegar brings a bright touch.
- Ditalini pasta makes the soup satisfying and chewy.
Quick Tip
Want to know my secret ingredient for this soup? I use Rao’s® marinara sauce: (not sponsored!). This sauce adds such a great rich flavor!
How To Make Pasta e Fagioli
- Make the Soup Base: Cook the onions, celery, and carrots on low heat to bring out their flavors.
- Add in the garlic.
- Brown the Beef: Fry the beef until it’s no longer pink and break it into pieces.
- Season: Add the herbs, salt, and pepper. Go easy on the salt because the bouillon, broth, and cheese add saltiness. You can always put more in later if it’s needed.
- Tomatoes and Beans: Now, put in the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and marinara sauce.
- Broth: Pour in the beef broth and add the bouillon cube for extra beefy flavor. Use less broth for a thicker soup or more for a soupier consistency. Let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- Pasta: Near the end, boil the pasta just until it’s almost fully cooked, then mix with red wine vinegar.
- Combine and Serve: Add the pasta to the soup, and top each bowl with herbs and Parmesan cheese when serving.
Variations
Switch It Up
- Meat: Use Italian sausage in place of the ground beef.
- Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli: Replace the ground beef with an extra can (or two) of beans and use vegetable stock in place of beef stock. Remove the bouillon cube.
- Swap the pasta: This recipe calls for ditalini (a tiny, tube-shaped pasta), so when substituting other macaroni, stick to a smaller shape like orzo, orecchiette, or elbow macaroni.
- Add some greens: If you want more greens, feel free to add in some chopped spinach, kale, or Swiss chard near the end of the cooking time. Cook until the greens are wilted.
Storage
Storage Tips
- Cool before storing.
- Refrigerate in airtight containers for 4-5 days.
- For freezing, omit pasta and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat on the stove, add broth if you’d like it thicker.
- If frozen without pasta, cook pasta separately and add when reheating.
More Soup Recipes
- Pasta Soup with Italian sausage
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with rotisserie chicken
- Creamy Vegetable Soup reader favorite recipe
- Chicken Vegetable Soup with roasted 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 stockpot
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup diced carrots 2 to 3 carrots
- 3/4 cup diced celery 2 to 3 celery
- 3/4 cup diced yellow onion 1/2 of an onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
- 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; I love Muir Glen
- 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 or tomato sauce
- 2 to 4 cups reduced-sodium beef stock see note 1
- 1 large beef bouillon cube
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar divided
- 3/4 cup ditalini pasta measured when uncooked
- Serving suggestions see note 2
Instructions
- Dice the carrots, celery, onion, and mince the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Once hot, add diced carrots, diced celery, and diced onion. Cook, stirring often, until veggies begin to soften, about 3–5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring often, for another minute. Push veggies to the sides, increase heat to high, and add ground beef. Allow to cook without touching for about 30 seconds. Then crumble the beef and cook until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Incorporate veggies into the beef as you crumble and cook it.
- Add seasonings to the beef: 1/2 teaspoon salt (or less; add to preference), 3/4 teaspoon pepper (or to preference), dried oregano, dried basil, Italian seasoning, and dried thyme. Stir for 30 seconds. Add undrained fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed kidney beans, drained and rinsed white beans, tomato paste, and marinara sauce. Stir to combine. Add beef stock; start with 2 cups and add the 3rd (or even a 4th) cup if you’d like it thinner. Stir, then reduce heat to low. Crumble in the beef bouillon cube and add the bay leaf. Stir. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Then stir in 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste. Remove bay leaf.
- About 20 minutes before the soup is done, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt and the uncooked pasta. Cook until 1 minute short of package instructions for al dente. Drain pasta and return it to the pot. Toss with the remaining 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and set aside until soup is ready.
- 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. Garnish individual bowls with freshly grated Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy hot.
- Slow Cooker Directions: In a medium pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onions, carrots, and celery. Drain off any grease. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, white beans, tomato paste, marinara sauce, and 2 cups beef stock. Add all the seasonings, beef bouillon cube, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 3–5 hours or low for 5–7 hours or until vegetables are tender. When finished, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove bay leaf and stir in the red wine vinegar. Add pasta that has been cooked, drained, and tossed with 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: This soup is thick and hearty—more of a stew-like consistency. I love it this way, but if you prefer a more broth-y soup, add 1 or 2 extra cups of beef broth.
Note 2: Serving suggestions: fresh parsley, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes if you like some heat.
Storage: Once cooled, store in an airtight container for 4–5 days. To freeze, omit pasta and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 6servings | Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 48.3g | Protein: 23.9g | Fat: 6.5g | Cholesterol: 46.1mg | Sodium: 310.9mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7.1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this 4 times in the last month and a half, and it really is just as good every single time! I usually use a full box of beef broth and could probably stand to add a can of it too because I like mine on the soupier side, but otherwise I usually follow the recipe to a T. Such a great recipe – I’ve sent it to friends and family!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks for sharing it! 🙂
Another amazing recipe, love the soup. I did add the extra beef stock as you suggested for a more soup Consistency, because I am serving shredded pork sandwiches with your soup. Thank you!!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed! Thanks Cindy! 🙂
I have now made this several times! It is the BEST copycat for Olive Garden’s pasta fagioli soup!! Delish.
Yay! I am thrilled to hear this Natalie! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Thank you for your recipes we have tried three and enjoyed each! We used a stainless stock pot on glass stove top and found that we needed to lower the heat settings some but other than that was great. We love carbs and brothy soup so will be adding more pasta and maybe even 5 cups stock and removing the added salt next time (personal preferences though). Thanks again and we look forward to trying more of your recipes!
I am seriously so happy to hear this! Thank you so much! 🙂 And those are great tips! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I have made this recipe many times and each time it has been a hit. I have doubled and tripled the recipe for larger groups and the ingredient proportions work out great each time. I actually prefer this recipe over Olive Garden’s. Thank you.
So happy to hear that!! Thanks so much for the comment and review 🙂
Can you tell me what to substitute for the diced tomatoes?
I haven’t tried any substitutes for the tomatoes so I really couldn’t say what would or wouldn’t work without trying myself (sorry!). If you’re okay with tomato flavor and just don’t like the chunks, I’d try crushed tomatoes.
This is a terrific recipe!! Well worth the prep work. I did use a 14 oz can of beef broth, was glad I did! Three thumbs up!!!
Yay!! Soo happy you enjoyed!! Hahahaha grateful for those three thumbs up! 🙂
Excellent made twice alreary and again today,get get enough of it .myparents usedto make it when I was a kid but didn’t like it that much but now c ant get enough of it.bestrecipe thanks you
YAYY!! I’m soo happy you love this!! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
I see It serves 6 people but how big is a serving size?
EXCELLENT! Thanks for sharing I’ll be making this again & again!!!
So happy you liked it Vikki! 🙂