Better Than Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Better than Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli soup! I recreated the famous, savory pasta-and-beans soup, loaded with hearty meat and tomatoes, right beside the actual soup! Pasta Fagioli is a classic Italian soup that is so simple to make, inexpensive, and filling! Wait, until you try it!
Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta e Fagioli Soup:
- 1 lb lean ground beef, (I use grass-fed 85/15)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, (grated)
- 4 stalks celery, (cut into 1/8" slices)
- 1 medium onion, (diced)
- 1 quart beef broth
- 24 oz marinara sauce, (I used Rao's Brand)
- 15 oz cannellini beans, (drained and rinsed)
- 15 oz red kidney beans, (drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 cup ditalini pasta, (uncooked)
Italian Flavorings:
- 2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1lb ground beef. Crumble the meat using a meat chopper, and cook until nicely browned.
- Add all the Italian seasonings and flavorings (2 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp dried basil, and 2 tsp sugar). Stir them into the meat using a wooden spatula.
- Next, add one chopped onion, two grated carrots, and 4 stalks of chopped celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until tender.
- Add 1 quart of beef broth, 24 oz of marinara sauce, and 15 oz each of cannellini and red kidney beans (drained and rinsed). Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of ditalini pasta, then continue cooking for 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Notes
- If you are making this soup in advance, undercook the pasta by 5 minutes. Ditalini pasta absorbs a lot of the soup's liquid, and will continue to cook as it sits. To retain the best pasta texture, store cooked pasta separately from the soup base and add as needed.
- Use a smoother marinara sauce; I feel like pasta fagioli is a chunky soup to start with, so don't go any thicker.
Nutrition Facts
Better Than Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Serving Size
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
354
% Daily Value*
Fat
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
5
g
31
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
6
g
Cholesterol
40
mg
13
%
Sodium
1607
mg
70
%
Potassium
841
mg
24
%
Carbohydrates
38
g
13
%
Fiber
9
g
38
%
Sugar
6
g
7
%
Protein
22
g
44
%
Vitamin A
3036
IU
61
%
Vitamin C
9
mg
11
%
Calcium
108
mg
11
%
Iron
5
mg
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
