Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup

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.

Copycat Olive Garden pasta e fagioli, bread slices, salt, and pepper.


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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
Ingredients for the Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli soup.

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:

  1. Cook the beef in the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it browns.
  2. Add onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. Add white and red beans, beef broth, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, and marinara sauce.
  4. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.
  5. Add the pasta and simmer until it is cooked.
  6. Stir in the parsley before serving.
  7. 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.

Copycat Olive Garden pasta e fagioli in a bowl and a spoon next to 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.

A bowl of copycat Olive Garden pasta e fagioli soup.

Do you love Olive Garden? Try these copycat recipes!

Be sure to check out more of my hearty soup recipes and the best Olive Garden copycat recipes here on CopyKat.com!

Copycat Olive Garden pasta e fagioli, bread slices, salt, and pepper.

Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli

It's time to break out your Dutch oven and prepare a hearty bowl of soup with tomatoes, kidney beans, pasta, and fresh vegetables.
5 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Olive Garden Recipes, Pasta e Fagioli, Soup Recipes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 329kcal

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.

Video

Notes

This makes 9 quarts of soup. Just cut the recipe in half for smaller family needs!
If you want to freeze this soup, don’t add the pasta. Cooked pasta doesn’t freeze very well. You can always cook some fresh pasta and stir it in when you are ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1261mg | Potassium: 1055mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4005IU | Vitamin C: 17.7mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 4.9mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jim Trebilcox

    5 stars
    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.

  2. Phil

    5 stars
    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.

  3. 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!

  4. Aimee

    5 stars
    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!!

  5. Melba

    5 stars
    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.

  6. Angela Blain

    5 stars
    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!

  7. Carol

    While I have not made this soup, being gluten sensitive I plan to fix it using my gluten free pasta. Should be fine.

  8. Aimee

    5 stars
    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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

    • 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%

  11. 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.

5 from 18 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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