Delight in the appetizing flavors of Olive Garden’s famous Pasta e Fagioli soup when you try this easy-to-make recipe. This copycat soup is brimming with ground beef, pasta, beans, carrots, and other wholesome ingredients, making for a nourishing lunch or dinner.
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Table of Contents
Homemade pasta e fagioli soup
This is a wonderful hearty soup and perfect for a cold day. You could serve this with your favorite salad tossed with Olive Garden Italian Salad Dressing. A hearty sandwich also goes well with this soup.
When you go to the Olive Garden you have a first important choice to make – are you a soup or salad kind of person? Olive Garden serves up four delicious kinds of soup. You can get the Chicken Gnocchi Soup, Zuppa Toscana, Minestrone Soup, or this Pasta e Fagioli.
All four soups are excellent. This one is hearty and perfect for enjoying with a large crowd.
What makes Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli so good
With ground beef and two types of beans, this protein-packed soup is a delicious and satisfying way to fuel your body. The rich and savory broth is infused with the heavenly flavors of various aromatic vegetables.
The dish is spiced up with a subtle hint of Tabasco sauce, which gives it a delicious undertone. The perfectly cooked veggies and pasta complement each other well and make the dish even more irresistible!
Why you’ll love this recipe
This soup abounds with different types of beans, pasta, fresh onions, fresh celery, and fresh carrots. You will be surprised at how easily you can put this soup together.
This pasta fagioli recipe makes a very large amount of soup, about 9 quarts. It’s perfect for a large crowd. You can cut the recipe in half for a smaller amount.
This is one of those recipes that tastes even better on the second day. Since it holds up well in the refrigerator, you can use it as meal prep for lunches during the week. Or, make a batch and freeze it to have a comforting meal available for a rainy day.
You are bound to fall in love with this version of the Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli when you make it at home.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need for this copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli recipe:
- Ground beef
- Vegetable oil
- Onion
- Slivered carrots
- Celery
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Canned or cooked red kidney beans
- Canned or cooked white kidney beans (cannellini beans)
- Beef broth
- Dried oregano
- Pepper
- Tabasco sauce
- Marinara sauce
- Small shell macaroni
- Fresh parsley
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
For this soup, we are using canned beans to help reduce cooking time.
You can easily customize this fagioli soup recipe. Here are some ideas:
- Substitute the ground beef with Italian sausage, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
- Substitute beef broth with chicken broth.
- Substitute the white kidney beans with great northern beans.
- Substitute marinara sauce with tomato sauce.
- Substitute the small shell macaroni with elbow macaroni, ditalini pasta, or other small pasta.
- Substitute dried oregano with Italian seasoning.
- Add a little bacon or pancetta to the meat.
- Add some chopped cloves garlic to the meat after it has browned.
- Add other herbs such as basil and thyme.
How to Make Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli
Making Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli soup is so easy! Here’s how:
- Cook the beef in the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it browns.
- Add onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add white and red beans, beef broth, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, and marinara sauce.
- Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.
- Add the pasta and simmer until it is cooked.
- Stir in the parsley before serving.
- To serve, sprinkle more fresh parsley on top if desired.
CopyKat Tip: Do not add the pasta if you plan on freezing the soup. Pasta does not freeze well. Just cook some pasta to add to the soup when you thaw and reheat it.
What to serve with homemade Pasta Fagiioli
Enjoy this soup with Olive Garden Chicken Marsala or some eggplant parmesan. It also tastes delicious with a simple grilled cheese or panini.
If you want a lighter meal, all you need is a warm dinner roll, breadsticks, Olive Garden Salad, or garlic bread to accompany it!
How to store the leftovers
You can either refrigerate or freeze this soup, depending on how long you want it to last. Either way, wait for it to fully cool before you transfer it to an airtight container.
The refrigerated soup will last 3-5 days, while it lasts up to 3 months when you freeze it! However, do not add the pasta if you plan on freezing the soup. Pasta does not freeze well. Just cook some pasta to add to the soup when you thaw and reheat it. Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight before reheating it.
What is the best way to warm up the soup?
Reheat this soup over medium heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until it is thoroughly heated. If microwaving, cover it with a paper towel and cook it in increments.
Do you love Olive Garden? Try these copycat recipes!
Popular Soup Recipes
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Be sure to check out more of my hearty soup recipes and the best Olive Garden copycat recipes here on CopyKat.com!
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 12 ounces chopped onion
- 14 ounces slivered carrots
- 14 ounces diced celery
- 48 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 2 cups cooked, drained red kidney beans
- 2 cups cooked, drained white kidney beans
- 2 3/4 quarts beef broth
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 48 ounces marinara sauce
- 8 ounces small shell macaroni (or other small dried pasta shape)
- 5 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook the beef in the oil in a large stockpot, breaking it up until it starts to brown. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add the beans, beef broth, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, and marinara sauce. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Add the pasta and simmer until it’s cooked.
- Stir in the parsley before serving.
Jrmartucci
I freeze cooked pasta all the time ,and it is excellent,with or without sauce.
when i make soup and freeze it with pasta in it . excellent taste.
Very tasty
Jean
Eve farrell
is 88 oz. Beef stock accurate? Or is it 8 oz.?
Stephanie
it is 88 ounces, we want lots of stock.
Betsy
The name of the small pasta that Olive Garden uses in their soup is Datilini…I have found it at Publix and Winn Dixie Supermarkets here in Florida (It is packaged in a clear cellophane bag). Always cook the pasta separately and add a small handful to each serving (just before serving)…never put it into the soup to cook or it will be mushy.
DeeDee
YES! I found this out the first time I cooked it. But the recipe is great, my son says it’s better than Olive Garden
Diane
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I don’t eat at the Olive Garden, but I’ve wanted to try a soup recipe like this. I used ground turkey instead of beef, and a can of crushed tomatoes instead of Marinara sauce because it is less sugar. It turned out amazing!
Santillio
This soup is much better when one uses Italian sausage than the ground beef.
In Italy this would never be used.
Also increase the Oregano, Basal(fresh),garlic and a tsp. of minced ginger. This makes it authentic.
Stephanie
Santillio we were really trying to the Olive Garden’s version of the soup. I agree your soup sounds very tasty though!
becky
What type of spaghetti sauce are you all using. Ragu. chunky, old world style,? Please be specific. thanks
Stephanie
Please use a Marina style spaghetti sauce.
Deborah Laprade
Making this today in my slow cooker and used my homemade spaghetti sauce…. Smells delicious, can’t wait to try it. I’m sure your favorite spaghetti sauce old work fine
Deborah Laprade
My pasta fagioli
Debbie C.
This soup was amazing! Tastes just like OG. My whole family loved it!
Name (required)
What brand or type of spaghetti sauce is the best to use?
I generally buy a marina, the marina that is on sale, and then I will tweek the seasoning to my personal taste. ~Stephanie
Randy McClintock
This recipe is wonderful. I cook a lot in crock pots and had tried to replicate this soup from several other recipes, but this one is a winner. I think using spagetti sauce gives it the fuller, richer flavor. I did change few of things from comments below. Since cooking longer using a crock pot, I did add the pasta later – already cooked as Michelle suggested. I used Italian seasoning instead of oregano as Stacey suggested. I like Louisiana hot sauce better, so I doubled the amount on that. My girlfriend says it is better than Olive Gardens (she could be saying that to keep me cooking).
Ruby
I’m a crock pot person also, could you send me your version that you cook?
Laura
Hi Randy, Can you send me your crockpot recipe as well. Thanks!
Susie
How long do you cook in the Crock Pot? I would love to put this on in the morning before work & have it ready when we get home. Thanks!!
SYLVIA HARRELL
RANDY WOULD YOU PLEASE SENT ME YOR RECIPE FOR THE SOUP OLIVE GARDEN PASTA-E-FAGIOLI IT SOUNDS SO GOOD AND I ALSO LIKE TO USE MY SLOW COOKER. THANKS SYLVIA.
Charlene
This recipe is delicious. My family doesn’t care for the “bite” of the original OG Pasta e Fagoli so I have eliminated the hot sauce. I also added chopped bell peppers and garlic to give it my own flair. Have made it several times for a Soup and Salad Night at church and “MY” soup pot is empty within minutes. I don’t like the way the pasta gets mushy if there are left overs at home – so I cook the pasta separately and add it at the last minute. This soup can be frozen and used later if you’ve made too much as long as you haven’t added the pasta.
Stephanie
I really like your tip on cooking the pasta seperately. I don’t care for mushy pasta at all.
Nicole
Yum… This was awesome! I will definately make it again.
Stacey
This was great! I did add a bit more herbs though – a teaspoon of dried Italian Herbs and a teaspoon of dried basil. I also added a couple of cloves of minced garlic with the onions, celery and carrots.
Susan
This soup is to die for!! Cutting the recipe in half helps if you have a smaller family. I usually make the full recipe and then take 1/2 to work and share with my coworkers!!
Rosalina
I made this today. And it’s just like The Olive Gardens.
I LOVE IT! IT’S A KEEPER.
julie
This soup is awesome, make it all the time. I add a can of veg all veggies to mine to make it a big heartier,
Michelle
I have made this soup twice. Taste just like the Olive Garden’s. I only suggest boiling the noodles alone and then adding them to soup before serving. The noodles get way to big. I give this recipe a 10.
Guido
Excellant soup. I used sausage instead of the ground beef and it was better- a little zestier. I also make it thicker than Olive Garden
Anonymous
This soup is so delicious. I made a vat of it when we had the last snow storm and it all gone. my kids were eating it at midnight ! So easy to make.
Sue M.
This soup turned out very good. I wanted to serve it to guests in a few weeks and tried it out today….it will certainly be on the table then and later too.
Anonymous
This dish is Amazing!