If you love cozy, restaurant-style soups, this Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Copycat is about to become your new favorite comfort meal! It’s hearty, loaded with flavor, and surprisingly easy to make at home with everyday ingredients.
Table of Contents
- What is Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Copycat?
- Ingredients You’ll Need for Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- How to Make Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Variations on this Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Copycat
- Can I Store Leftover Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup?
- Common Questions about Pasta e Fagiole
- More Soup Recipes
- Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Copycat Recipe
What is Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Copycat?
Olive Garden pasta e fagioli soup is a rich Italian-inspired soup made with seasoned ground beef, tender beans, vegetables, pasta, and a tomato-based broth that’s savory and super satisfying. The combination creates a meal that feels filling like a stew but still cozy like a classic soup.
This Olive Garden pasta fagioli recipe recreates the familiar restaurant favorite while giving you full control over the ingredients and texture. You get creamy beans, soft vegetables, and perfectly cooked pasta in every spoonful!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Beef – We prefer to use lean ground beef, but any percentage would work as long as you drain the excess fat. Or, feel free to swap it out with ground turkey instead!
- Olive Oil – This is used to help sauté the veggies, creating extra flavor and adding a boost of healthy fats.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, basil, and bay leaves combine to create a bold, herbaceous taste.
- Vegetables – Carrots, onions, celery, and garlic add texture and nutrients to the soup. Then, crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce form the base of the broth.
- Beef Broth – Used to thin out the soup without diluting its taste.
- Beans – Cannellini beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans combine to add lots of texture, fiber, and plant-based protein.
- Orzo – Cooked to al dente, this pasta thickens the soup, making it extra hearty and irresistible.
How to Make Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Cook the Meat. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Then, add the beef, and cook, breaking it into cubes. Drain any excess fat.
- Add the Vegetables. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, and cook until they are tender. Then, sauté the garlic with the rest of the ingredients until it is fragrant and golden.
- Build the Broth. Pour the broth, tomato sauce, beans, herbs, and crushed tomatoes into the pot, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the ingredients to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the soup, and let it simmer until the vegetables are fork-tender and the beans are softened and creamy.
- Cook the Pasta. Stir the uncooked orzo into the soup, and cook until the pasta is al dente.
- Garnish. Adjust the consistency of the soup with more broth, if desired (or allow it to simmer longer for a thicker soup). Sprinkle extra Parmesan and parsley on top, and serve warm!
Variations on this Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Copycat
- Vegetarian/Vegan – Omit the meat and use vegetable broth plus plant-based crumbles or extra beans for protein.
- Gluten-Free – Replace the orzo with gluten-free pasta or cooked rice for a similar hearty texture.
- Italian Sausage – Swap the ground beef for Italian sausage to add extra seasoning and richness without additional spices.
- Slow Cooker – Brown the meat first, then add everything except the pasta to the slow cooker and cook until the vegetables are tender before stirring in the pasta near the end.
- Instant Pot – Use sauté mode for the meat and vegetables, then pressure cook the soup base before adding pasta using sauté again.
- Extra Veggies – Add zucchini, spinach, or kale for more nutrients and color.
- Heat – Stir in a splash of hot sauce for some spiciness.
- Beans – We like cannellini beans because we love how their smaller size contrasts with the kidney beans. But if you’d like more uniformity in the size of the beans, choose Great Northern, which will be closer in size to the kidneys.
- Garnishes – In addition to (or instead of) the Parmesan and parsley, sprinkle on some crushed red pepper flakes or fresh basil.
Can I Store Leftover Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup?
The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, which can make leftovers thicker over time. If you’re planning for leftovers, cook the pasta separately to keep the texture perfect.
You can refrigerate the soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
You can freeze it for up to 3 months, ideally without the pasta, then add freshly cooked pasta when reheating.
This soup also works well for meal prep, not only because it lasts a few days in the fridge, but also because the flavors continue to deepen while it’s stored.
Common Questions about Pasta e Fagiole
Small pasta shapes like orzo, ditalini, or small shells work best because they blend nicely with the beans and vegetables in each bite.
The easiest trick is to cook the pasta separately and add it just before serving. You can also add it at the very end of cooking so it stays tender but not overly soft.
The pasta absorbs liquid as it sits. But you can simply stir in extra broth or water until you reach your desired consistency.
Cheesy focaccia bread, garlic bread, or a Greek Salad all pair perfectly with the hearty flavors of this soup!
More Soup Recipes
Nothing beats a warm bowl of soup when you want something satisfying without a lot of fuss! Here are more of our comforting favorites that are perfect for weeknights, meal prep, or whenever you’re craving something cozy.
Shorbet Lesan El Asfour (Middle Eastern Orzo Soup)
Minestrone Soup
Egyptian Lentil Soup (Shorbet Ads)
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (with Ditalini)
Would you like to save this? 🔖
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Copycat
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 whole carrots diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 6-8 cups low-sodium beef broth*
- 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons basil
- 2 Whole bay leaves
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 cup dried orzo pasta
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and cook until browned, breaking into crumbles. Drain excess fat.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound lean ground beef
- Stir in the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic to the pot, and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant.1 medium onion, 3 whole carrots, 3 celery stalks, 3 garlic cloves
- Add the broth, tomato sauce, beans, seasonings, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes to the pot. Stir to combine, and adjust seasonings to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot with a lid, and simmer 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.6-8 cups low-sodium beef broth*, 1 can cannellini beans, 1 can chickpeas, 1 can red kidney beans, 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste, 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 teaspoon oregano, 2 teaspoons basil, 2 Whole bay leaves, 8 ounces tomato sauce, 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Add the uncooked orzo pasta, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.3/4 cup dried orzo pasta
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.
- Store pasta and orzo separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
could we make this recipe into a slow cooker recipe?
Yes, here it is!