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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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
- Acorn Squash Soup
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- Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- She Crab Soup
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.
Jim Trebilcox
I did change a couple of things in this recipe. Olive Garden uses Ditalini pasta which is what I went with. I substituted Hot Italian Sausage for ground beef and it gave it a more authentic taste, and finally I eliminated the Marinara sauce and instead used 15 ounces of Italian style Diced Tomatoes and 16 ounces Tomato sauce.
Phil
It tasted exactly like it does in the restaurant. I have made it twice. It makes a bunch. Once I home canned a batch and opened it up after 5 years. It was as good as the day I made it.
MICHAEL
Just made this for a church fundraiser on Superbowl Sunday. I pretty much stuck to your recipe except that I’m allergic to mammal meat and had to use Jennie-O’s Italian Turkey Sausage in place of the ground beef. (Hope you don’t mind!) Everyone that tasted this dish raved and wanted the recipe. Thank you for making this contribution to my table!
Stephanie Manley
So happy this worked out for you!
Jennifer M Riolo
By chance did you make this recipe with white vinegar a long time ago?
Stephanie Manley
I do not think that was my recipe with an addition of white vinegar. I could see why this would work. A little acid always brings out the flavor.
Christie
When I simmer, both times, should it be covered or uncovered? Thank you
Stephanie
I would put the lid on both times.
Dhana phillippe
I love it
John
Anyone make this in an Instantpot if so what are the settings? I just bought one and not that familier with it yet
Merrie
What do I add to the soup because as the soup sits the pasta sucks up the juice
Stephanie
The pasta should not soak up all of the liquid, you may want to add some additional water or perhaps some V8 juice.
Ashley
Boil your pasta separate, then add it to the soup
Aimee
I have been making this recipe for a very long time, and I must make it about 3-5 times a year. I have never had to half the recipe because it always goes so fast. It is absolutely the best Pasta E Fagioli soup recipe out there. Whenever I serve it I get so many compliments on it. I recommend you make this soup, once you do it will become a family favorite and your go-to soup recipe. It is simply delicious!!
Melba
I made this recipe my husband said it was better than the restraints. It made so much I shared it with my neighbors and froze some too.
Stephanie
That’s awesome 😉
Angela Blain
This is so delicious. I make it regularly and it is so good as leftovers! Just make some toasty garlic bread to go with it. Yum!
Carol
While I have not made this soup, being gluten sensitive I plan to fix it using my gluten free pasta. Should be fine.
Stephanie
I hope this works out well for you.
Aimee
I have been making this soup for a few years now and it is always a huge crowd pleaser. I have been asked to make this soup to bring places, and I have been asked for the recipe on countless occasions. I follow the recipe pretty closely, but the added tips sound like a great way to change it up a bit.
Georgiann
This recipe sounds wonderful and I look forward to making it. Did you perhaps make a typo error? I notice you have tomatoes twice in this recipe. I hope to try it soon. Sounds like quite a bit.
Stephanie
Thank you for your comments, I think the recipe is fine. I have canned tomatoes, and then marinara sauce as well. I may have missed something, but I do have two different types of tomatoes in the soup.
Vanessa
There’s only diced tomatoes That I see on the recipe. Yes the marinara sauce but no other tomatoes.
Stephanie
There is a 48 ounce can of diced tomatoes in this recipe.
margaret daye
I can’t wait to try this
jim
I add about 1 lds. of cooked hot italian sausage, cut into bite size pirces.
Deonia
Looks like this recipe has been posted for a while, but, I’ve been making it for a few years with a few added attractions. I always use a couple of cubes of Knorr’s Tomato/Chicken bullion and one of the Beef bullion when I cook the pasta it makes the soup taste heartier. For me pasta cooked in water only makes for really bland pasta.
Maureen
Great idea, thanks!
Angie
Does anyone know how many carbs in a serving
NOLA
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 582
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13.3g 17%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 84mg 28%
Sodium 1750mg 76%
Total Carbohydrate 67.8 25%
Dietary Fiber 13.6g 49%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 46.7g
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 152mg 12%
Iron 22mg 124%
Potassium 2026mg. 43%
Tammy
Have you tried to can this soup?
Stephanie
I have not tried to can this soup before.
Peg
I have made this soup many times and it is always a hit. I make the pasta using water and then add the pasta to the bowls before serving. Otherwise the pasta that remains in the pan or is stored sucks up most of the liquid and the pasta gets really large and overdone.
Hajra
Hi, I tried this soup today and it came out superb. Thanks Stephanie for the recipe.
Stephanie
I am so glad it worked out for you.
Kate
What brand of marinara sauce do you prefer for this recipe? I know some are already spiced. Not sure if they would alter the taste.
Stephanie
I typically use barilla.
Belinda Hebert
Question…this filled up my 8 quart pot. How much is a serving?? I put it in the recipe builder on my WW app and needed to know for the correct points. I used 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey breast and 1 lb 93/7 ground beef.