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Easy Pasta Fagioli Recipe (Classic Italian Olive Garden Style)

Easy Pasta Fagioli Recipe (Classic Italian Olive Garden Style)

A hearty Italian-inspired soup made with ground beef, vegetables, beans, tomato sauce, beef broth, and ditalini pasta. This Olive Garden-style copycat serves about 6–8 people and is ready in approximately 45–55 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 1 pound Lean ground beef
  • 1 medium Medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 medium Carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks Celery stalks, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can Tomato sauce
  • 1 14.5-ounce can Diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 cups Beef broth or stock
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
  • 1 15-ounce can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can Cannellini, Great Northern, or other white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup Dry ditalini pasta
Toppings
  • 2 tablespoons, optional Fresh parsley, chopped
  • To serve Grated Parmesan

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it browns; drain excess fat if necessary.
  2. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the browned beef. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
  3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Keep the garlic moving so it does not scorch.
  4. Pour in the tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir well, then bring the soup to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup uncovered for about 15 minutes. This gives the carrots and celery time to become tender while the tomato broth develops a fuller flavor.
  6. Stir in the drained kidney beans, white beans, and dry ditalini pasta. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until the pasta is just tender, stirring occasionally because the pasta can settle and stick to the bottom.
  7. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed. Stir in the chopped parsley if using, ladle into bowls, and finish each serving with grated Parmesan.

Notes

For leftovers, cook the ditalini separately and add it to each bowl so the pasta does not absorb too much broth in the refrigerator. Low-sodium broth and canned ingredients are helpful because the beef, beans, Parmesan, and broth can all contribute salt.