I love Olive Garden! It’s one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I used to always get the salad & breadsticks before my meal – I mean that salad!!! But then one time I tried the Pasta e Fagioli. LIFE CHANGING! MIND BLOWN!
This is the BEST Pasta Fagioli recipe because I tried a bunch of them and kept going back to Olive Garden (research is tough!) and make sure I had it just right!
What’s in Olive Garden’s Pasta Fagioli?
So much goodness! But the thing I love is that it’s EASY to put together! Canned beans, carrots, celery, onion, sausage, tomatoes, V8 juice (that’s a key ingredient for a great soup!) and seasonings – oh – and ditalini pasta! If you don’t have ditalini pasta – it’s not pasta fagioli.
Can you make Olive Garden’s Pasta Fagioli in the Crockpot?
Yes! I usually just make this on the top of the stove – but you can easily make this in the slow cooker. My one tip is – brown the sausage first – then add it with everything to the pot – EXCEPT the extra water and cooked pasta. Make the pasta when you are ready to serve and add at the end otherwise it absorbs too much liquid.
Can you freeze Olive Garden’s Pasta Fagioli?
Yes! I love this soup but I don’t love eating it 7 days in a row. I’ll have it for dinner and then leave a couple servings in the fridge for a couple of lunches or dinner – but the rest – goes right into freezer/microwave safe glass bowls and pop them in the freezer.
How do you best reheat Olive Garden’s Pasta Fagioli?
If you’re like me and know you’re going to have leftovers – just put the pasta into the bowls you’re going to serve – and not the whole pot. What I did was spoon the leftovers out into the storage bowls and then add the pasta on top of the soup in each bowl and did NOT stir! If you leave it on top – it’s not going to absorb all that liquid. Then when you reheat – add a little water (1/3 cup per bowl) – and microwave.
What to serve with Olive Garden’s Pasta Fagioli?
You have to start with my copycat Olive Garden Salad & Dressing! It’s the best! Beyond that – my bestie Plain Chicken uses Pioneer Woman’s cornbread (and turned me onto these ear-of-corn cornbread pans!). I usually eat this soup as my entree – but you can always have it as a starter and have their Chicken Scampi, Shrimp Scampi or Giant Stuffed Shells for dinner!
Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
ingredients:
- 1 lb italian sausage
- 1.5 cup onion diced (1 medium)
- 1 lg carrot, julienned
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can red kidney beans with liquid
- 1 15 oz can great northern beans with liquid
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1.5 cups v8 juice
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 pound ditalini
- 2 cups water
instructions:
How to cook Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
- Brown sausage for five minutes in dutch oven or large pot – should be cooked about 1/2 way through
- Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 5 minutes
- Add remaining ingredients except pasta and water and simmer for 1 hour
- After about 45 minutes, cook ditalini pasta and drain
- While pasta is cooking, add 2 cups water to simmering mixture in large pot
- Right before serving, add pasta to large pot and stir
NOTES:
– Add additional water to leftovers when re-heating to make it soupier vs. chili
– If you know you’re going to have leftovers, reserve pasta and add to top before refrigerating and do not stir in. This will keep the pasta from absorbing all the liquid and getting mushy.
– Serve with cornbread and an Olive Garden salad
Anonymous says
This is my soup of choice–I'll have to try this recipe.
Food Hussy says
You'll love it! I make it every year at the first sign of fall!
Anonymous says
My best friend and I did a 4 day whirlwind trip to New York last year..after what seemed like 4 hours traveling on the open air tour bus being baked into oblivion I spied a Olive Garden ( they've all but closed up in Canada). I jumped off the bus and ran into the restaurant. For some reason I ordered this soup and I swear it saved my life..it was all-you-could-eat and I had 4 bowls (kept apologising to waitress)..it was pure heaven..thank you for posting this recipe
Food Hussy says
Bhahaha – i love that!!!
Unknown says
Thanks
Dana says
How do I make this in the crockpot? Timing?
FoodHussy says
– Brown sausage for five minutes in dutch oven or large pot – should be cooked about 1/2 way through
– Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 5 minutes
– Add sausage mixture and remaining ingredients except pasta and water to crock pot and heat on low for 4 hours
– About 15 minutes before serving, cook ditalini pasta and drain
– While pasta is cooking, add 2 cups pasta water to simmering mixture in crock pot
– Right before serving, add pasta to crock pot and stir
Kathy Missouri says
Closest thing you will ever get to Olive Garden. Perfect.
FoodHussy says
Thank you – it was my favorite so I made sure to get it right!