Pasta Fagioli is a hearty Italian bean and vegetable soup made popular over the years by Olive Garden. Learn to make it at home for a satisfying meal for the whole family!
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This pasta fagioli is one of my most frequently made soup recipes for the last 10 years. It is a go-to when I know I need to feed a lot of people. I also make it when I need to take a meal to a family, because it's enough for that family AND our family. It's hearty enough to serve alone or round it out with my favorite quick rolls and a side salad.
👩🏽🍳 What is Pasta e Fagioli?
You may have heard of this pasta soup from the Olive Garden menu. Popular over the last couple of decades in American-Italian cuisines, the soup includes a tomato base with sausage, vegetables, beans and pasta. It is different than minestrone soup due to its emphasis on the beans more than veggies. Minestrone has more variety of vegetables, including potatoes, whereas pasta fagioli uses carrots, celery and onions.
🧾 Grocery List
It may seem like a lot, but every one of these items are easy to find in your grocery store.
Gather these ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Ditalini pasta (1 cup dry)
- Italian sausage (1 lb ground)
- Onion (1 medium)
- Garlic cloves (4)
- Carrots (4 medium)
- Celery (4 stalks)
- Diced tomatoes (28 oz. can)
- Red kidney beans (15 oz. can)
- Cannelini beans (15 oz. can)
- Beef broth (64 oz.)
- Tomato sauce (28 oz. can)
- Dried parsley
- Dried basil
- Salt
If you are unfamiliar with ditalini pasta, you should find it at any grocery store in the pasta aisle. It's a small round pasta (you can see in the photos). If you cannot find it, substitute with any small pasta.
Click here for full recipe ingredients and instructions.
This soup takes a little time to make, but it is still considered easy. The hardest part is chopping the veggies, but that really isn't all that bad. Actually, maybe the hardest part is waiting so long for it to simmer over the stove top. It's difficult to not dig in when you're smelling the aroma of such a wonderful soup!
To make pasta fagioli, you first cook the vegetables and sausage then pour in the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer away. The pasta is added last, then cooked until tender. I love serving bowls of this with my easy yeast rolls!
⭐ What Others Are Saying
Don't take my word on how good this recipe is! See what others said about this soup recipe:
I’ve made this recipe several times now for my family and every time it’s been a great success. Thank you for posting it. This is a fantastic recipe for both the beginner to the experienced chef. --Jerry
I keep meaning to thank you for this recipe. Absolutely delish! --Laura
I made this soup last night for the family. It was delicious, so much so I shared the recipe (and the soup) with friends. It is definitely a keeper. --Kari
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce "pasta e fagioli"? Well, I'm going to answer the best I'm able. The "e" is silent and you might say "pasta fazool." Does that help? That's about how I pronounce it anyway. You might say "fajool" or "fajoli" or something else and I'm okay with that. Tell me how you pronounce it!
Can I freeze pasta fagioli soup? YES! You can most definitely freeze this soup. Let it cool to room temperature first, then transfer to a freezer friendly soup container. It will keep in the freezer for quite a while. I usually don't let anything go past 3 months, though, just because I feel like food can start getting that freezer taste by then.
How much does this recipe make? It makes A TON. But, that's great because it reheats very well and can feed your family through the week. Or, if you have a large family then GREAT! I like to make this as a meal to take to a family and feeds my family the same day.
Can I use turkey sausage? Absolutely! I've used turkey sausage and I've also made my own Italian sausage.
Is this exactly like Olive Garden's pasta e fagioli recipe? It's better.
🥘 More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Beer Cheese Soup
- Easy Homemade Tomato Soup
- Taco Soup
- Sausage Kale and Potato Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Print the recipe or PIN it to save for later. Made this recipe? Leave a star rating and tag me on social media @seededtable so I can see. I love hearing from you!
This recipe was originally published February 9, 2009 and updated August 19, 2020.
Recipe Card
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil , divided
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage mild, hot or sweet
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 4 medium carrots , thinly sliced
- 4 medium stalks celery , thinly sliced
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 15 oz. can red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
- 15 oz. can cannelini beans , drained and rinsed
- 64 oz. beef broth (I sometimes use a little less)
- 28 oz. can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup ditalini pasta (uncooked)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook into crumbles. Remove sausage from pot and set aside.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are just starting to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the cooked sausage back into the pot. Stir in the can of diced tomatoes (do not drain) and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the beans, broth, tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the dry pasta and continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 30 minutes. Serve into bowls and let cool slightly before eating.
Notes
- Can use turkey sausage instead of Italian sausage.
- Nutrition information is an estimate only.
