Pasta e Fagioli is the easiest bean and pasta soup recipe to make at home in only one pot! Full of bacon, ground beef, veggies, and short cut pasta this savory soup is a family favorite!
Pasta e Fagioli:
Another very popular Olive Garden copycat soup you can make easy at home! So far we have also done our version of Chicken Gnocchi Soup as well as our Zuppa Toscana, and of course Minestrone will be coming soon! For those wondering, this is very different from minestrone although they seem similar. This one has meat (I use bacon and beef), beans, pasta, and simple veggies like carrot and onion. Ditalini is the pasta traditionally used here, but any small pasta will work if you can’t find it. We love this cold weather soup so much, especially when I want something hearty but not cream based! Serve it up with some homemade Garlic Bread and you are set! This one can be made on the stove or in your Instant Pot.
How Long is Pasta e Fagioli Good For?
Once cooked, this soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can keep it (cooled) and in a large airtight container, or use a large zip top baggie to save yourself some room! Keep in mind that the longer the soup sits, the pasta will continue to absorb some more liquid. So, your soup may get a little bit thicker over time. You can reheat this for a minute or two in the microwave or just gently reheat it on low on the stove top in a saucepan.
Can I Freeze This Soup:
You can! But, you need to leave the pasta out to freeze. Simply make the soup as directed, but don’t add the pasta. Once it’s cooled down, add to a freezer safe container and freeze up to 3 months. I let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. When you reheat and the soup is at a simmer, add in your pasta and cook as directed until the pasta is soft.
A Few Recipe Notes, Tips & Substitutions:
- I like to use a combo of bacon and beef, but you can use one or the other if you don’t want both. You could also sub the beef for Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken. If you want a meatless soup, just skip the meat step and start with your veggies.
- I used a combination of (drained and rinsed) kidney and great northern beans in this recipe. You can use one or the other, or just only use one can of beans if you like less.
- Ditalini pasta is the usual here and it’s what I used. But, you can definitely use any short cut pasta shape too! Macaroni, small shells, orzo, or even rotini would work! I’m a big fan of using what you have on hand.
- I used fire roasted canned diced tomatoes because I love that extra bit of flavor. Any type of diced canned tomatoes are fine, the kind with garlic and basil are really good too!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 6 Slices Bacon Chopped
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion Diced
- 1 Cup Diced Carrots
- 4 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 teaspoons Dried Basil
- 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes OPTIONAL
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 2 15 Ounce Cans Tomato Sauce
- 1 15 Ounce Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- 5 Cups Vegetable Broth or Chicken Broth
- 2 15 Ounce Cans Kidney or White Beans Drained and rinsed
- 1 Cup Ditalini Pasta or other short cut pasta
- Parmesan Cheese for serving OPTIONAL
Instructions
STOVE TOP:
- Cook the chopped bacon in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease from the pot.
- Add the beef, onion, carrots, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot. Cook, breaking up the beef as you go until no longer pink. Drain any remaining grease from the pot.
- Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, broth, beans, and pasta to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes until pasta is cooked through.
- Serve with the bacon and parmesan cheese if desired.
INSTANT POT:
- Cook the bacon in the instant pot on saute mode. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate using a slotted spoon.
- Add the ground beef, onion, carrots, garlic, and seasonings to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly and breaking up the meat until cooked through.
- Turn the instant pot off.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to sealing position.
- Cook the soup on the manual, high pressure setting for 4 minutes.
- Once the time is up, carefully do a quick release by opening the valve. Once the pressure has released, remove the lid and serve the soup immediately.
- Serve with the cooked bacon and parmesan cheese.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s really delicious. Even my pickiest eater loved it! I made some adjustments to reduce the amount of liquid so it had more of a stew consistency, and I added the celery that’s needed for it to be like Olive Garden’s soup. I left out the bacon since I forgot to buy it, but without the bacon it needed salt. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you.