Pasta e fa*gioli (Olive Garden Soup Recipe) (2024)

Pasta e fa*gioli soup is an Italian style soup loaded with meat, creamy beans, hearty vegetable, tender pasta and a ton of aromatics. This Olive Garden recipe is even better than the original, so if you like Pasta E fa*gioli from Olive Garden, you’ll love ours.

This Olive Garden Pasta e fa*gioli recipe is quick and easy and made with ingredients you probably already have on hand. It’s ready to go in under 40 minutes when making the stovetop version. It’s the ultimate comfort food during the cold winter months.

More Olive Garden Soup Recipes: Zuppa Toscana Soup, Chicken and Gnocchi Soup and Olive Garden Minestrone Soup recipes y’all love.

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Ingredients

Here are the main ingredients required to make this soup. See the recipe card below for the full list.

Ground beef or sausage – I recommend 90% lean ground beef for less oil.
Veggies – onion, carrots, celery, garlic
Tomato sauce and diced tomatoes
Ditalini pasta – feel free to sub in what you have on hand
Beans – use canned or homemade

Kick it up a notch by using homemade beans, such as Instant Pot Kidney Beans or Instant Pot Pinto Beans.

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How to Make

Olive Garden Pasta e fa*gioli Soup can be made on the stovetop or slow cooker.

Stovetop

Brown the Meat – Brown the meat and break into crumbles and drain.

Cook the Vegetables – Stir in the onions, carrots and celery and cook until tender.

Make the Soup – Add the rest of the ingredients (except the pasta) and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Cook the Pasta – Cook the pasta to al dente and add to the soup.

Slow Cooker

Brown the Meat – Brown the meat and break into crumbles and drain. Add to the slow cooker.

Cook the Vegetables – Stir in the onions, carrots and celery and cook until tender. Add to the slow cooker.

Make the Soup – Add the rest of the ingredients (except the pasta and beans) and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Cook the Pasta – 30 minutes beofre serving cook the pasta to al dente and add to the soup along with the beans.

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Recipe Variations

Gluten Free – Use a gluten-free noodle, such as a chickpea, corn or quinoa blend.

Dairy-Free – By excluding cheese from the recipe, you can create a delicious and straightforward soup recipe free of dairy products, perfect for individuals who are lactose intolerant or those who prefer to avoid consuming dairy.

Recipe Tips

Storage – store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing – Pasta doesn’t freeze well. Instead of adding the pasta to the entire bowl add it to each bowl before you serve.
Re-heating – the pasta will soak up the liquid, so you will need to add some more to the pot when re-heating to keep the soup consistency.

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Side Dish Ideas

One Hour Dinner Rolls
Stuffed Ziti Fritta (Another Olive Garden Recipe!)

What’s the Difference Between Pasta Fazool and Pasta e fa*gioli?

Pasta e fa*gioli, meaning ‘pasta and beans’ in English, is a soup with beans and pasta, however the star of the dish is the beans. The name comes from the Venetian dialect, whereas in the US, it’s commonly referred to as Pasta Fazool derived from the Sicilian or Neapolitan dialect for beans. Same dish – different dialects.

Both would pair well with a side of Sweet Potato Buns!

Olive Garden Pasta E fa*gioli Soup

A delicious Olive Garden copycat soup recipe! Grab a bowl of Pasta E fa*gioli soup for a rich, hearty and comforting meal.

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Olive Oil (Divided)
1 Lb Ground Beef or Sausage (*Note 1)
1 Small Yellow Onion (Diced)
3 Carrots (Diced)
2 Stalks Celery (Diced)
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
3 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Can Tomato Sauce (16 oz.)
1 Can Diced Tomatoes (15 oz.)
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (*Note 2)
1 Cup Water (Divided) (*Note 3)
1 Cup Ditalini Pasta (*Note 4)
1 Can Great Northern Beans (15 oz.), Drained & Rinsed
1 Can Kidney Beans (15 oz.), Drained & Rinsed
Sea Salt (To Taste)
Fresh Ground Black Pepper (To Taste)

OPTIONAL

Shredded Parmesan Cheese (For Serving)
Minced Parsley (For Serving)

Instructions

STOVETOP:

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large soup pot or dutch oven and heat over medium high heat. Once heated, add the ground beef and cook until browned (about 6-7 minutes) breaking into crumbles as it cooks. Drain the excess fat, transfer to a medium size bowl and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil (1 tablespoon) to the soup pot/dutch oven. Stir in the onions, carrots and celery and cook until tender (about 3-4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, cooked beef and 1/2 cup water to the pot and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low. Cover with lid and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 15-20 minutes).
While the soup is simmering, add salted water to a separate large pot and bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain well.
Add the cooked pasta and beans to the pot and heat for 2-3 minutes.
Top with parmesan cheese and/or parsley and serve immediately.

SLOW COOKER:

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and cook until browned. Transfer the cooked beef to the slow cooker
Add the garlic and onions to the same large skillet and sauté until onions are soft (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer to the slow cooker.
Add the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT the beans and pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
30 minutes before serving, cook the pasta in a separate stock pot according to the package instructions (you want it al dente). Drain and add to the slow cooker along with the beans.
Cook for a final 5 minutes until the beans are warm.
Top with parmesan cheese and/or parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

Note 1: I always prefer using 90% lean ground beef for less oil. Feel free to use whatever % you prefer. The nutritional information is calculated using 90% lean beef.

Note 2: Don’t have Italian Seasoning? Replace it with 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. oregano and 1/2 tsp of dried thyme.

Note 3: You do not need to add extra water when doing the slow cooker method, unless you want it extra thin.

Note 4: If you aren’t serving the entire pot of soup at once, I recommend adding the cooked pasta to individual bowls (before ladling the hot soup over it) vs adding it directly to the huge pot of soup. This way you can re-heat the rest of the soup, at a later time, without the pasta getting soggy.

Nutrition

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