Description
Hearty and comforting, this Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli soup is loaded with ground beef, beans, vegetables, and pasta simmered in a savory Italian-style tomato broth. It’s an easy one-pot meal that brings restaurant flavor home.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup water
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup dry ditalini pasta
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, for topping
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess fat and transfer beef to a plate.
Add remaining olive oil to the pot, followed by onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Pour in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, water, sugar, and all dried herbs. Return cooked beef to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
Meanwhile, cook ditalini pasta in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Add beans and cooked pasta to the soup and stir gently to combine. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Stir in fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Ladle into bowls and serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
Notes
To prevent pasta from absorbing too much broth, store soup and pasta separately if you plan to refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
You can substitute ground beef with Italian sausage or make it vegetarian by omitting meat and using vegetable broth.
This recipe is freezer-friendly. Freeze soup and pasta separately for best results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 718mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Fiber: 13g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 49mg
Keywords: copycat olive garden pasta e fagioli, pasta fagioli soup, olive garden copycat, italian soup recipe