Our Version of Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Add a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a nice finish.

Recipe from http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

12 Servings

If you are craving a meaty, beany, pasta soup, this is the ticket. Your family will love it.  Save time and brown the meat on one day and make the soup on another day.  Using a slow cooker makes this soup even more convenient.  This recipe does make a lot of soup.  My slow cooker was full to the brim.  Make sure you use a large crock pot or cut the recipe in half! 

2 lbs. ground beef (I used 1/2 pound to 1 pound of local ground sweet sausage. This soup is quite meaty, so if you are cutting back on meat or if you are on a tight budget, cutting the amount of meat to 1/2 pound will not adversely affect this soup.)

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, shredded

1 cup celery, chopped

2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16 oz.) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used cannelloni beans.)

4 cups beef stock

3 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

5 teaspoons parsley (optional)

1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (I used Local Folks hot sauce.)

1 (20 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce (I used Field Day Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce.)

8 oz. pasta (I used whole wheat macaroni.)

Brown ground beef or pork in large skillet. Drain fat.  Place the meat on paper towels to absorb as much fat as possible.  Add beef or pork and all ingredients except the pasta into a large crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Before serving, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to soup.*** (See note.)

***Note:  When making soups with pasta, it’s best to cook the pasta separately and then add it to the soup. Pasta in soups, if left in the soup over time, will become mushy. So, if you plan to eat ALL of the soup at once (say you have a big family or you are having a dinner party) go ahead and add the cooked pasta to the entire pot of soup just before serving.  If you plan to serve the soup over several days, make the pasta as directed and then toss it with a bit of olive oil.  Add a bit of pasta to each soup bowl before serving the soup. Save the extra pasta in a covered dish in the fridge and add it to the soup as you need it.  If you plan to freeze the soup for later, freeze it without the pasta.  Make a fresh batch of pasta for the thawed soup.