This is the Best Pasta Fagioli recipe full of ground beef, veggies, and beans in a delicious tomato broth. It's a hearty classic Italian soup made with pantry staples.
To keep things easy, we make this one-pot Pasta Fagioli with canned beans and cook the pasta right in the soup. If you plan to make this recipe ahead of time, just keep the pasta separate and mix together just before serving.
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Easy Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe
If you like rich and savory soups, add this Pasta e Fagioli to your weekly menu. Italian for “pasta and beans” and pronounced “pasta fazool,” this soup has a hearty tomato broth flavored with herbs and Italian seasoning. It is filled to the brim with tender beans, ground beef, veggies, and tiny ditalini pasta.
I like to make this pasta fagioli with ground beef like Olive Garden does, but feel free to swap out the ground beef for another protein such as sausage or ground turkey. You can also skip it and keep this soup vegetarian.
Pasta Fagioli Ingredients
- Ground Beef - I recommend using 85/15 ground beef. To make this a little lighter, you could also substitute ground turkey.
- Onion - you’ll need about 1 cup of diced yellow or white onion.
- Celery - this should be diced about the same size as the other veggies.
- Carrots - peel and dice your carrots the same size as the onions and celery.
- Crushed Tomatoes - you’ll need a 28 ounce can of your favorite crushed tomatoes to make the soup base.
- Beans - I use a combination of white beans and kidney beans. Cannellini beans are also delicious.
- Beef Broth - if you are making this vegetarian you can easily substitute vegetable broth.
- Marinara Sauce - you can use your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce or make your own homemade marinara sauce.
- Garlic Powder - just a little bit adds loads of sweet garlic flavor.
- Italian Seasoning - this makes seasoning the soup easy. You could also use a combination of dried oregano, parsley, and basil.
- Ditalini Pasta - this cooks fairly quickly so be sure to wait and add during the last 10 minutes of cooking. If you are looking for a small pasta substitute, you could try macaroni, orzo, or small shells.
How to Make Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Cook the ground beef and vegetables. Heat a large pot over medium high heat then add the ground beef, diced onion, diced celery, and diced carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are transparent and the meat is just slightly pink.
- Add the broth ingredients. Add the crushed tomatoes, white beans, kidney beans, marinara sauce, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Add the garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for about 20 minutes.
- Add the pasta and continue to cook. Add the pasta and cook for 10 more minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes. Serve with crusty bread, or top with parsley and/or grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Pasta Fagioli Recipe Variations
Here are a few ideas for making simple tweaks to this soup recipe in order to give you a wide range of different flavor options:
- Pasta Fagioli Vegetarian Soup: Skip the ground beef and use vegetable broth instead.
- Creamy Pasta e Fagioli Soup: Add a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half towards the end of cooking for a creamier texture. Or, puree a portion of the soup before adding the pasta to create a thicker base.
- Shrimp Pasta Fagioli: Add shrimp instead of ground beef.
- Mushroom Pasta Fagioli: Sautee a variety of mushrooms such as cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms for a hearty, earthy flavor.
- Pasta Fagioli with Sausage: Add your favorite kind of Italian sausage instead of ground beef.
Frequently Asked Questions
While very similar, the main difference between pasta fagioli and minestrone soup is that minestrone tends to be more veggie heavy while pasta fagioli usually only has onions, celery, and carrots at most. With that being said, feel free to add extra veggies and call this hearty soup whatever you want!
Pasta e fagioli, pronounced "pasta fazool," is Italian for “pasta and beans.”
Yes! If you want to make this soup ahead of time, I recommend keeping the pasta separate. This way, the pasta won’t become mushy after it is reheated. This soup can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Pasta Fagioli is full of protein and fiber, making it a great addition to a healthy diet. If you are looking to make it even healthier, you can skip the ground beef and use a pasta alternative such as gluten-free pasta.
Yes! To make Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli, first brown the ground beef as directed. Add to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: store in freezer bags or another airtight container for up to 2 months.
- To reheat: put soup into a dutch oven or sauce pot and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
- Make-ahead: if you plan to make this soup ahead of time, keep the pasta separate from the soup. It will taste better once reheated.
Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef recommend 85/15
- 1 medium Onion diced, yellow or white (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup Celery diced
- 1 cup Carrots diced
- 1 28-oz can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 can White Beans drained
- 1 can Kidney Beans drained
- 5 cups Beef Broth
- 24 oz Marinara Sauce store bought or homemade
- 1½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 cup Ditalini Pasta
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium high heat then add the ground beef, diced onion, diced celery, and diced carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are transparent and the meat is just slightly pink.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, white beans, kidney beans, marinara sauce, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Add the garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for about 20 minutes. Add the pasta and cook for 10 more minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.
- Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes. Serve with crusty bread, or top with parsley and/or grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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This easy Pasta Fagioli Soup recipe is a hearty soup full of ground beef, veggies, pasta, and beans. It has a flavorful tomato broth and is a quick one-pot recipe.
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