Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Soup (pronounced pasta fazool) is a hearty, comforting meal you can make at home. It combines tender ditalini pasta with beans, fresh vegetables, and seasonings, all in a rich, warm broth. It’s comfort food in a bowl that only takes 30 minutes to make!
If you want more amazing Italian soup recipes, then try my Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup or my Chicken Gnocchi Soup.
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Why this Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup Recipe is a Keeper
This pasta e fagioli recipe is even better than Olive Garden. It’s an easy recipe to follow, made with vegetables, beans, and pasta. Diced tomatoes add richness to the soup, which you can also make without the pasta if you’d refer. Here are a few reasons why you’ll love this recipe for Olive Garden’s pasta and parmesan soup:
- Easy Ingredients: All of the ingredients in this pasta fazool recipe can be found in your kitchen or favorite grocery store.
- Adaptable: Easily adjust this pasta and bean soup to your tastes and dietary needs. Change up the pasta, broth, vegetables, and more.
- Healthy: This Italian bean soup is full of healthy ingredients, and is a great source of fiber, protein, and vitamins.
How Can I Make the Soup Thicker or Thinner?
To thicken the soup, let it sit on the stovetop a little longer. To thin it out, add some more of the chicken broth.
Recipe for Pasta Fagioli Soup Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef: Use ground beef or ground Italian sausage.
- Seasoning: Try making your own All Purpose Seasoning and Italian Seasoning.
- Ditalini: Ditalini is the best pasta for this hearty soup, but you can use other small pasta shapes if you want. I recommend adding the pasta to the soup bowl after you make the soup.
- Vegetables: You’ll need diced onions, carrots, 3 stalks of celery, and minced garlic.
- Tomatoes: Add diced tomatoes or tomato sauce to make the pasta soup base.
- Beans: Use cannellini beans and kidney beans.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
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Prep Ahead Suggestions for Olive Garden Copycat Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Make Ahead: Cut and prepare the vegetables in advance or make the stop and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Pro Tip to Make Olive Garden Soup
Sautéing onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil before adding them to the pot adds depth of flavor.
How to Make this Copycat Recipe for Pasta Fagioli
“Pasta e fagioli,” the name of this Italian soup, literally means “pasta and beans.” I love this soup so much, I’ve made this recipe many times. The soup is loaded with protein and vitamins, making it both healthy and delicious.
This pasta fagioli recipe makes 8 bowls of soup. Follow the instructions below to learn how to make Olive Garden pasta soup.
These are the basic steps for making homemade Olive Garden soup. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Brown the Meat and Cook Pasta
In a large pot or Dutch oven, season the meat and brown over medium high heat. Once the meat is cooked, remove from the soup pot and drain. Leave 1 tablespoon of fat in the pot. Cook the pasta separately. Once the pasta is tender, set aside.
2. Add Vegetables
Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Season with remaining all purpose blend. Cook for 5-8 minutes until softened. Then, add garlic, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Simmer the Soup and Add the Pasta in the Soup
Add the beef back into the pot. Then, add diced tomatoes, beans and liquid, and chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, and add salt and pepper if needed. Add the cooked and drained pasta to individual serving bowls, then add the soup on top. Finish with grated parmesan cheese.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Pasta Soup
- Storing: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat the soup on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Using Leftovers: This soup should stay good for up to 5 days.
Variations and Substitutions for this Copycat Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Recipe
- Pasta: Use another small pasta, like orrechiette.
- Crock Pot: You can also try making this soup in the crock pot or slow cooker.
- Vegetarian: To make a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and skip the meat.
- Chicken: Use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of beef.
Homemade Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe FAQs
If you used this recipe for the bean soup that Olive Garden makes, leave a comment and review.
Serve the pasta beef soup with Buttery Dinner Rolls with Rosemary, Homemade Garlic Bread from Scratch, or Pull Apart Pizza Bread. You can also try serving it with an Olive Garden salad, or another classic Italian soup, like minestrone soup.
Yes; this recipe is full of healthy ingredients, like fresh vegetables and beans. See the nutrition facts on the recipe card for more information.
Yes; try butter beans, borlotti beans, pinto beans, or any of your favorites.
Expert Tips to Love this Recipe for Pasta e Fagioli Recipe
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and freeze the rest.
- Make it Vegetarian: This soup doesn’t need meat. Add vegetable broth and leafy greens for an incredible meal. Sauté the vegetables in olive oil and add some fresh rosemary or basil.
- Different Veggies: Try adding zucchini, green beans, broccoli or peppers.
Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Soup (Pasta Fazool)
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Ground Beef
- 2 teaspoons All Purpose Seasoning, divided
- 1 Onion, Large, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 Carrots, diced
- 3 stalks Celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- 15 ounces Cannelini Beans
- 15 ounces Kidney Beans
- 14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- ¼ teaspoon Salt and Pepper
- 1 pound Ditalini Pasta, cooked
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, season ground beef and brown over medium high heat.
- When meat is cooked through, remove from pot and drain excess fat; Leave one tablespoon of fat in pot.
- Add onion, carrot and celery to pot; Season with remaining House Seasoning Blend.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes or until softened.
- Add garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and bay leaf; Cook for 1 minute.
- Add ground beef back into pot.
- Add tomatoes, beans with their liquid and chicken broth.
- Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Test for seasoning. If needed add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Add 1 cup of cooked Ditalini to individual serving bowl and add soup.
- Top with grated parmesan cheese.
Christina’s Notes
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and freeze the rest.
- Make it Vegetarian: This soup doesn’t need meat. Add vegetable broth and leafy greens for an incredible meal. Sauté the vegetables in olive oil and add some fresh rosemary or basil.
- Different Veggies: Try adding zucchini, green beans, broccoli or peppers.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, scroll up on the page.
Video
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
This is the best soup! It doesn’t take too long and makes a lot for freezing.
This is a must if you love soup…
Very very good. I was silly and didn’t realize I needed to cook the noodles first. So I ended up using my ninja foodie and pressure cooking the entire think with the uncooked pasta for about 10 mins. Turned out amazing!! I also used Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles for an added spice. I did have to add more chicken broth since I pressure cooked it. So much leftover and can’t wait to have it for dinner again. Thank you for sharing!
So good!! This is my second time making it, and I followed the recipe to a T.
I just noticed on the video you use beef broth, and the recipe calls for chicken broth. Is there a big difference if you switch?
It is honestly just a taste preference.
Words from my husband’s mouth, “Make it like this everytime!”. I only substituted beef for ground Italian sausage. I followed the recipe to a T. Thank you for making one of my favorite soups even tastier!
It looks great! I’m definitely going to make it.
This is a wonderful soup for a cold winter’s day. I used ground turkey instead of beef, but did not change anything else. It was delicious. Will make again.
I thought this was absolutely the best Pasta Fagioli soup I’ve ever made!
But when my Italian friend said it was the BEST she’s ever had, that confirmed it. I made it two weeks ago and making it again today!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thanks so much! Enjoy!
What makes up the house seasoning blend
The house seasoning blend is my own blend of seasonings that I use on almost anything. It is linked in the recipe and also on my website.
This was the absolute best recipe I’ve ever tried on Pinterest! Allll the flavors! I would even feel confident making it for my Italian in-laws!
We made this with half italian sausage and half spicy italian. It was just right that way! Will definitely be making this again!
This has all the flavors I want it to and was perfect for our cold, rainy day!
We love this recipe so much, it’s now a family fave! Thank you!!
Hello from an Italian girl who loves pasta e fagioli, and yours looks delicious
I liked this version with the addition of ground beef, everyone has its own family version, nice idea!
I have tried a few recipes for pasta fagioli before, but this was seriously the best I have ever made! It was so flavorful and so great! My family loved it!
Awe man! I can’t wait to make this! I know how you feel-I often make certain recipes so much that to try and figure out how much of everything you need is a pain 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing
Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
One of my favorite soups. I never makes soups at home because the majority of my family doesn’t like soup, but when I’m out to eat in the north end of Boston (the Italian section) and this is on the menu, I always order it. YUM.
Nothing like Pasta Fagioli from an authentic Italian restaurant! 🙂