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Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli: Easy Weeknight Version

Close-up of a white bowl filled with rich pasta fagioli soup, featuring ground meat, white beans, pasta, and topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
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This is the translation for that hearty, comforting Italian soup you crave. We break down the ‘Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli’ so you can make this family favorite on a busy weeknight.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20 recommended)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup small pasta, such as ditalini or elbow macaroni
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach (optional, for color)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Drain off excess grease.
  2. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Stir in the minced garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. This is where you build the flavor base.
  4. Pour in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (with their juice). Stir well to combine everything with the meat and vegetables.
  5. Add the beef broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  6. Stir in the rinsed and drained cannellini beans and kidney beans. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes so the flavors marry.
  7. Increase the heat to medium-low and add the small pasta. Cook according to the package directions, usually 8 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender but still has a slight bite (al dente). Stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom.
  8. If using, stir in the fresh spinach during the last minute of cooking until it wilts.
  9. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed.
  10. Serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan cheese. This soup is excellent with crusty bread.

Notes

  • For a true ‘Olive Garden Copycat’ texture, mash about 1/4 cup of the cannellini beans against the side of the pot before adding the rest. This thickens the broth naturally.
  • If you prefer a less meaty soup, substitute half the ground beef with Italian sausage or omit the meat entirely for a vegetarian version.
  • If you are using the ‘Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli’ method, brown the beef and sauté the vegetables on the stovetop first, then transfer everything (except the pasta) to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Add the pasta during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchenslang.com/pasta-fagioli-easy-weeknight-soup-recipe/