Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Pasta e Fagioli Soup, aka 'pasta and beans,' is a traditional Italian soup using mini pasta, sausage, and vegetables in a tomato-based broth. This warm Italian soup popularized by Olive Garden has been a staple in Italian kitchens for years!

Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagioli Soup Copycat

Of course, it's a very popular soup here at home and since it's loaded with hearty amounts of Italian sausage, vegetables, beans, and pasta we load up on it for dinners any time of the year.

Does anyone else know that this soup exists because of Olive Garden? Yep, me too! But ever since enjoying the soup there when I was younger, I knew I had to make a version for the whole family to enjoy.

Nothing says comfort food like a brimming bowl of this classic Italian soup on a cold day!

Jump to:

• Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagioli Soup Copycat
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Make Pasta e Fagioli Soup
• 💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🥡 Storing & Reheating
• ❓ What's the Difference Between Minestrone and Pasta e Fagioli Soup?
• ❓ What Kind of Pasta is Used in Pasta e Fagioli Soup?
• 🇮🇹 Other Great Italian Recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

My pasta fagioli (also called pasta fasul or pasta fazool here in the U.S., based on the Neapolitan version of the name pasta e fasule) has been a staple family favorite soup ever since!

🥘 Ingredients

Don't let the long ingredient list intimidate you! These items are fairly common staples with simple substitutions.

• Ditalini Pasta - Cooked per package instructions.
• Olive Oil - Extra virgin
• Italian Sausage - Spicy or sweet, with casing removed.
• Mirepoix - Yellow onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
• Seasoning - Italian seasoning, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
• Tomato - Diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce.
• Broth - Both chicken and beef.
• Beans - Canned Kidney and Cannellini (you can substitute Great Northern beans or other white bean varieties).
• Garnish - Parmesan cheese, Italian flat leaf parsley.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Pasta e Fagioli Soup

This soup is super fast and easy to make and like most Italian dishes the ingredients are affordable and very versatile! Like the similar Minestrone soup, pasta e Fagioli soup started out as a peasant meal that was meant to use what was available on hand.

This recipe serves 8 hearty portions.

1. Heat a stockpot or dutch oven to medium-high heat, add olive oil, and heat until shimmering.
2. Add the Italian sausage, allow to cook for about 1 minute, then break apart into small chunks. Continue to cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the mirepoix (onion, carrots, celery) and garlic, and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Next, add seasoning (Italian seasoning, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes) and tomato paste, chicken, and beef broth, then stir to combine.
5. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stir and season with salt and pepper (to taste).
6. Add the cannellini and red kidney beans, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove from heat and add cooked pasta to your soup directly, or portioned into serving bowls with the Pasta e Fagioli soup base served over the cooked noodles.
8. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and/or chopped parsley, if desired.

Enjoy this soup with my tasty homemade garlic bread or even my air fryer garlic bread!

💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes

• If you plan on making a large batch and plan on storing the leftovers, be sure not to add the noodles to the soup. Otherwise, the noodles will be completely soggy when reheated.
• A great substitute for Ditalini pasta is normal elbow macaroni, the name Ditalini pasta actually means "little elbows" in Italian.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. You can freeze the soup base (soup without the noodles) for up to 3 months.

To reheat simply microwave or reheat on the stove-top to the desired temperature.

❓ What's the Difference Between Minestrone and Pasta e Fagioli Soup?

Minestrone soup is traditionally made with mostly vegetables. It literally is one of those soups that was meant to use up foods that were on hand or going bad.

It's a recipe that is very fluid, meaning you can add almost anything to it as far as vegetables go. Pasta e Fagioli is made using pasta and beans. The soup usually has Italian sausage (and sometimes ground beef) as an ingredient as well.

❓ What Kind of Pasta is Used in Pasta e Fagioli Soup?

Traditionally (and as seen at the Olive Garden restaurant) small pasta such as ditalini, the tiny short tubes seen here. Other pasta, such as orecchiette, pipettes, elbow noodles, mini farfalle or mini shells, and even orzo can also be used.

🇮🇹 Other Great Italian Recipes

• Lasagna
• Baked Italian Sausage
• Veal Osso Buco Alla Milanese
• Chicken Marsala
• Baked Rigatoni
• Caprese Salad

📋 Recipe