Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
A super easy, no-fuss copycat recipe that’s wonderfully hearty and comforting, except it tastes 100x better than the restaurant-version!
I know I should be posting about ice cream and refreshing summery drinks this time of year but even in 100 degree weather, I still need a bowl of soup, especially if it’s my all-time favorite Olive Garden soup!
Yes, this is the complete copycat of Olive Garden’s heartwarming Pasta e Fagioli, which is a pasta and bean soup. And it’s seriously so easy to make right at home! All that takes some effort is the prep work for the veggies. That’s it! Best of all, this recipe is enough to feed an army! Just be sure to add the pasta to serve or else it’ll soak up all the liquid over time.
And if you’re anything like me, you’ll have the AC blasting on your face as you stuff yourself with this hearty, cozy copycat soup!
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add Italian sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat and set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot. Stir in garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk in chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, Italian sausage and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Stir in pasta and beans until heated through.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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This is absolutely delicious. Truly the best soup I’ve ever made and am so glad I discovered this recipe. I make a soffritto and go from there. Thank you for sharing this and all your wonderful recipes with us, Chungah. I visit your site frequently and get great results every time.
Love this recipe!
Just be aware that the prep and cook times are not even close to accurate (like so many recipes). Start to finish, it took me over an hour to make this. Which doesn’t stop me from making it, I just have to make sure I allow enough time.
This is my favorite soup to make! I make it as written and it’s delish!
THE BEST pasta fagoli recipe! I use 1/2 lb of 85/15 hamburger with 1/2 lb sausage and it turns out fabulous! My fave recipe.
10/10 I love this recipe. I make it just as it is written and it is damn delicious! It makes a large volume, so I recommend adding the pasta only to the amount you will be serving. Otherwise the pasta gets soft and large in the leftovers.
This soup also freezes exceptionally well! Again, I don’t add the pasta beforehand.
Thank you for this legendary recipe!
Always a favorite in our house!
Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve used this recipe for a few years now but I made it today and I had to comment this time. This truly is a great dupe and pretty easy to make considering I usually have the majority of the ingredients on hand. I subbed some items for ground turkey, small wheat macaroni and canellini beans, but it’s the same result: a hearty, warming flavorful masterpiece! Keep cooking and keep sharing!
I made something tasty and didn’t hate my own cooking. I added chickpea shells to make it gluten free. Might omit pasta next time since I like the beans and sauce the best. New favorite recipe!
Loved it!!
This soup is my new favorite!!!
I forgot to add the beans and loved the soup so much that I did not want to alter it in any way so elected to leave them out. That said, without the beans, it turned out to be just delicious. I doubled the recipe using 1 lb. hot Italian sausage and 1 lb. mild. I also added about 12 oz. of spinach. My changes are trivial. This is a fantastic soup and with or without them. Thank you for a great recipe that my family thoroughly enjoyed.
I made this yesterday and it was fantastic. Everyone at work lived the bowl I made for them at well. I did tweak it a little too make it my own. I used beef stock, sauteed bacon, hamburger, Italian sausage and hot sausage. I used a 3 bean mix of pinto, kidney and black beans. I pureed a who can of seasoned butter beans and added it to the liquid before adding the pasta. Half a jar of fire roasted red bell pepper to the mirepoa and OMG just so good.. definitely making this again..
Love this recipe! Been using it for several years. Ans truly is perfect as is.
I just started doing 2 little things different. I add 2 cans of diced tomatoes. And the other is I get and extra can of great northern beans and a puree it, then stir it in the soup. Gives the soup a creamy thickness to it.
Delicious. Definitely comfort food! Great recipe, it’s like an Italian chili! I used pork and beef which Balanced the flavors. Will definitely make again.
Delicious. Definitely comfort food! Great recipe, it’s like an Italian chili! I used pork and beef which Balanced the flavors.
Best recipe yet. Delish!
I keep this recipe on hand and make it several times a year! My family loves it! It’s simple and delicious!!!
I’ve made this a few times and it always turns out great!
I’ve made this soup many times–it’s absolutely perfect! It makes enough for a family, plus it’s hearty. It’s comfort in a bowl!
100* Italian , this is the best pasta Fajoli I’ve ever eaten , even better than grandmas . I do add some pepper flakes . I freeze the leftover for future dinners.
Easy and delicious,what more could you want in a soup. Tastes even better the next day so perfect to make for work lunches for the week.
So delicious, easy and adaptable! I wish celery was not so expensive right now!
I threw in a bit of parmesan rind when it was simmering.
Delicious! This tastes better than Olive Garden!
This recipe is superb! I’ve made it many times and it is always a hit. It is jam-packed with nutritional goodies.
How may calories in a serving
From my calculations approx 328 cal/ serving but this doesn’t tell you the serving size so I’m assuming per 1 cup
Olive Garden has kale in it also. I’m about to try this recipe as it sounds very good, but I’ll add some spinach (don’t have or like kale). Thanks for the recipe.
Yay! Soup season is back and this recipe was first on the rotation! Love this soup!! I have yet to find a recipe of yours that hasn’t been delicious. I may cut back on the pasta, but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing!
Love love this soup. The only thing I do differently is cook pasta separate and add to be individual bowls and I add a good splash of white vinegar at the end for a burst of flavor. So good. Thank you.
This is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes! I have to say that I never had Olive Garden’s version because I really don’t think they serve healthy food overall and I avoid most chain restaurants for that reason. Good quality sausage from a local butcher shop really makes this dish shine – I try to get a chicken or turkey mild Italian sausage. If you have homemade chicken stock, definitely use that and I also use 2 cans of the Great Northern or white cannellini beans and leave out the kidney beans. I add a bit of pasta to the bowls then ladle soup over so the pasta doesn’t get overcooked. I only freeze the soup part, not pasta and just make some fresh pasta for that batch as others have commented. This recipe is just amazing!
Such a great recipe!
Ive been making this for a couple years now, and it’s one of my family’s favorites! I’ve made a few modifications to the recipe that really enhance the flavor, so I thought I’d share- substitute one cup of white wine in place of broth, instead of adding a cup of water before simmering, add another cup of broth. It’s so good!
This is Excellent!! I’ve been asked for the recipe and have been asked to bring it to special occasions. Thank you so much!!
I love this recipe and so does my family and friends!!
So delicious and makes so much! My partner and I get a hearty dinner and at least two lunches easily out of this soup. Freezes beautifully for an easy meal, just make the pasta fresh to add.
So glad you posted this! I love this recipe but was wondering how it would freeze and had the same thought to add the pasta fresh. I’ll be making a bunch up to freeze soon! 🙂
Great
This is the best soup ever!!! It is so vibrant and flavorful! I don’t put pasta in it and freeze it. Then i add pasta separately when I heat it up!
So I started making this soup a few years ago when we lived in Okinawa and couldn’t get the real thing. It was so delicious and gave us a taste of home. Now since we’ve been back in the states I prefer it to actual OG. It’s very easy to make and you can add your own flavors to accent the soup. My two kids love to help me make and eat this soup. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
More than a year ago I was having a hankering for this soup and looked around for a copycat recipe. I came across this recipe on Google and when I saw how high the recipe was rated I had to give it a try. After making I thought Damn, this is a really good copycat recipe and if not better than OG. The only thing different I do is I put my veggies in the food processor. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who wants to make this soup!
100% best recipe! No need to tweak or change. Sausage and seasonings are perfect!
I made this in the crockpot and it turned out really good! I substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth and doubled up on the spices but I do that for pretty much every recipe. Delicious!
This soup is delicious! Super easy to make, filling and comforting.
This is an excellent meal. I did one thing different I added fire roasted tomatoes instead of plain tomatoes. This made 3 quarts of delicious soup!!!
My husband makes it better than the Olive Garden
Pasta e fagoilo easy to make makes big pot of soup. Great flavor used low fat hamburger instead Italian sausage seasoned with Italian spices. Very nice warm soup. Used cannelli beans instead great Northern beans
hi, I tried your recipe tonight and it was really fun to put it together. I have a recipe forPasta e fagioli, but can’t find it. So I looked on the web and found yours! Great recipe. I don’t usually put italian sausage and I didn’t have spicy one, so I added sweet and then a dash of chili flakes to the recipe. I also like the taste of anise or fennel, so I sprinkled a little into the south, and it is amazing. I didn’t have tomato sauce either, so instead put two cans of diced tomatoes, and it was still wonderful. Thank you for the recipe. This will be my meal for dinner or lunch through the week — since I live alone. I love soups of all kinds and this was my husband’s favorite, along with corn chowder. This is a very healthy soup as well, and tastes amazing!
Loved this soup, as did my wife. When a recipe makes it into our recipe box, that’s high praise! My wife suggested to add in some diced zucchini – right at the end, for a little extra veggie power. I did swap out the kidney and great northern beans for small red beans and navy beans. Just a texture thing for me. Excellent!
Oh yeah, it is officially soup weather again!
-Had to pop in and give a review as this is simmering on the stove.
We have made this many times and I have to say it is one of our fave Fall/Winter favorites.
I have really been into making Focaccia bread lately, and will enjoy dipping it into this amazing soup tonight! Thanks for another wonderful recipe!!
So delicious!! Will be making again!
This soup is over the top delicious and soooo much better than the OG version. I’ve made it several times; it’s my go-to recipe for my favorite soup. Also, I’m on the keto diet, so I make it every time without the pasta and without fagioli – and it’s STILL the best soup around. Thank you so much!
Delicious and healthy
I have made your pasta e fagioli recipe many times and just love how it turns out. I learned to make this for my Mom who enjoyed it at Olive Garden. Since making this recipe and then having it again at Olive Garden, we both agree this recipe is so much better. Thank you.
This is better than Olive Garden’s pasta fe Fagiole.
How many grams per serving?
Because I’m wondering about the calories.
BEAUTIFUL!! DELLISH!! AMAZING!! OUTSTANDING!! OMFG OH SO. GOOD!!. YOU CANT UNDERSTAND WHAT WERE SAYING CUZ OUR MOUTHS ARE FULL.. & WERE SPEECHLESS.. LOOK OUT OG.. YOU GOT SOME MAJOR COMPOSITION. JUST SAYIN.. & AS FOR CALORIES.. UUUGGHH. WELL BE COUNTING CALORIES WHEN. WE GET TO ICE CREAM. BUT ILL BE EATING THIS BEFORE ICE CREAM ANY DAY.. SORRY ICE CREAM BUT THIS IS OUR GO TO MAKE US FEEL GOOD FOOD NOW.. LOVE LOVE LOVE.. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS AMAZING RECIPE.. MMMM… MMMM.MMMMM!!!!
Delish! I’ve been making this for years and it’s my grandson’s special request even when it’s 90 degrees out… he’s even taken it to school in a thermos
We can’t eat this at Olive Garden anymore cuz home made is waaayyy better!
We always bump up the flavor a little more by using chicken flavored ‘Better than Bouillon’ regardless of whether using stock or water as a base. And instead of all the separate seasonings we add McCormicks ‘Just a Pinch’ Italian seasoning.
This soup freezes well and feeds a crowd.
SO GOOD… Thank You
This is my favorite thing that I make…. and I make it at least once a month. My changes are that I don’t use beans, I sometimes throw in some kale, and I serve with a bunch of fresh grated Parmesan.
So I may be biased, but I won over my partner with this soup. Perfect balance of flavors as written and is very easy to make. I’ve also used the spicy chicken sausage from Whole Foods as a substitute for the pork sausage and still tasted great. Thank you for sharing!
Should the pasta be one cup cooked or uncooked?
Fantastic recipe. I love the Olive Garden soup, but I think this is actually better!
Threw this into my instant pot for 20 minutes and it turned out great!
I have been making this soup for a couple years now. My whole family loves it! It’s so simple to throw together and the flavors are so delicious. It freezes really well and is great for lunch the next day. A keeper for sure!
Excellent! Easy to make and delicious
I made this soup last night in my instant pot! I had dry beans on hand which I prepped and used 20 oz of prepped mixed beans which resulted in a great flavor. I made it without pasta, had no garlic cloves so I used 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, and also added some Italian seasoning at the recommendation of my co-worker who shared this recipe with me! It turned out wonderfully!! I will make this again and again now that I know what I’m doing! Thank you for this recipe!
Also, note: if you don’t have tomato sauce just use one can (6oz) of tomato paste and 2 6oz cans of water. Mix it before adding it.
I have made this several times and love it. It freezes well and is great for a single person. The last time I doubled up making a few changes. I used fire roasted tomatoes, 1/2 hot Italian sausage and 1/2 ground turkey. It was simply yummy!
I was very happy with this recipe. I actually tripled the recipe to make a large pot with plenty to freeze.
I changed it a bit since I cooked it in my crockpot. I didn’t precook the pasta. I cooked the sausage and veggies as per the instructions. I put everything into my crockpot. Cooked on high for about 4-5 hours. Then I added the uncooked pasta and continued cooking until the pasta was soft. My husband, friends and I thought it was delicious. I will definitely make this soup again.
This recipe is fantastic and easy to make! I use hot sausage which adds a kick! Perfect meal for the winter months!
I made this vegetarian with Beyond Beef and vegetable broth. Absolutely fantastic! Added a little extra broth and red pepper because I love spice! Will definitely make again!!!
This recipe is absolutely delicious. It is better then the one at the restaurant. Easy to make, hearty, served with biscuits, it was fantastic.
This is delicious! I added a little red wine and used only one can of white kidney beans since that’s what I had on hand, but it came out perfect. I could see using ham sometime too, as this recipe is very flexible. Thanks for such a tasty recipe!
long day of prep as i also made the olive garden bread sticks. but well worth it. Only change was i used Navy beans as that’s what i had on hand
Question – If I don’t want to include the beans should I double up on the veggies? More meat? Thanks!
Great recipe! I also did a little improvisation… Used a leftover hambone , plus ham (that I cut into cubes) from Christmas dinner to make stock. Used lentils and red kidney beans, tomato paste instead of tomato sauce. Turned out pretty darn good. One I will make again for sure.
Delicious! Our family loved it.
I made this today! Four hours on high, used hamburger meat instead of sausage and added some red pepper for a kick. Of course it prob did not need it but this recipe is legit! So glad I found it!
I made this recipe tonight for dinner turned out good. I added some fresh red peppers with the veggies and took a little of the beans and some broth blended and added back to the soup.. mmmm Super yummy! I think it needs much more liquid tho… I added two and a half cups of chicken broth more than called for still dosen’t seem like enough. I think I put too much pasta it … Still turned out quite tasty. I didnt look at the amount of pasta it called for until just now! Haha ya I put an entire 16 oz package. I read as 1 package not 1 cup.
Sooo darn delicious!! Love it in the restaurant–but this version (with a few of my own tweaks) is superb! Great for this rainy, cold night!
Bon appetit!
I made the soup and it was a hit with my family! This will definitely be served in my home again! Recipe was easy to follow. Thank you so much!
Hi! I also live in Chicago, and this soup was so comforting on a cold day. I just felt like I needed unlimited breadsticks and salad to make this Olive Garden copy-cat meal complete. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your recipes!
My father in law recently passed away and alot of family would be coming to my mother in law’s house. I was trying to think of something to make that would be comforting to everyone. The last time I was there I made this soup for my father in law and he loved it. So I made a triple batch and it was gone and I had everyone asking for the recipe. Comfort food at its finest!
Made it last night, was very good. Easy and quick, nice for a weeknight. Very flavorful, will make again
I love this recipe. I made it vegetarian with vegan sausage and vegetable broth. It’s a big hit with my family.
One of my favorite soups that I only get when I eat out (which hasn’t happened in a long time due to pandemic). So I was excited to see your newsletter with the slow cooker version. When I went to make the soup a few days later I picked up on this recipe which has similar ingredients. I used a pound of Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage from the freezer, so I also replaced the 15oz can of diced tomatoes with two 10oz cans of Rotel tomatoes to add back in in some spice. I also added a half cup of wine because they did that in the recipe I saw on a PBS Italian cooking show last night (only difference between two recipes). Of course I topped it with some fresh parmesan cheese and served with some toasted sour dough bread. This recipe was easy to make and tasted superb! I often utilize your lovely recipes and Thank You for sharing then with us.
This is delicious! I used leftover lamb steaks because I had them and added 1 tsp. Turmeric and three in some dehydrated cherry tomatoes. Super great!
This soup is easy and quick to make. I prepare it ahead for when we go camping with the horses. I just have to heat it up! It’s always a big hit for cool night pot luck suppers! A fall camping favorite!
Tasty soup, a family favorite. Some posters commented that the pasta soaks up the liquid which is why the pasta should be kept separate and then added to each bowl before serving. To the poster that said they wished the recipe served 1-2 people- just freeze the leftovers it reheats well.
Oh my goodness. This has become a favorite in our home. I have some to my dad too. He said the only problem with it is that i didn’t give him enough. Made exactly to recipe. Sometimes i tweak it a little bit is perfect just as written. Really good with chicken sausage too which i actually prefer to regular sausage.
This soup was so yummy! My 14 yr daughter was craving some yummy fall soup and this hit the spot. It was easy enough that she could make it. This recipe makes a lot so she will be enjoying it for the next few days. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent soup!
So delicious! Made this many times and it’s always a big hit. Freezes really well and great for lunches! Only change I do is use chick peas instead of red kidney beans.
Love all your recipes
Made this last night – SO DELICIOUS!!!! I have a question though, upon reheating the broth seems to be sucked up by the noodles…what can can I add during reheat to bring back some of the “juices”? Thanks!!
I add 1/4 – 1/3 cup of filtered water (per serving) when I reheat.
Made this exact recipe multiple times. I have a large pot so I tripled the recipe. It freezes very well even with the pasta. Like others, I used a processor for the veggies. May add Romano cheese to the finish product. Delicious!
This soup came out really tasty! The only trouble was that there was not really enough liquid in it. Maybe adding more broth would help but I don’t want to dilute/complicate the flavor.
Do you drain the cans of beans/tomatoes/etc before adding? Usually a recipe will specify “one drained 15oz can of kidney beans” or whatnot. I drained all of the cans – maybe that’s my problem? I hope you find time to give me some feedback! Thank you for posting this very good recipe!
Help! I’m all ready to make this soup and I do t have the great northern beans anything I can substitute???
I have the kidney but no great northern
I know it’s the day after your inquiry but I would just use the kidney beans or any other beans you have. Also I use 4 cups of broth, drain and rinse the beans and add the whole can of tomatoes liquid and all. It is a thicker soup but we prefer it with the extra cup of broth.
I love this soup! I do not drain my beans, sometimes I add chick peas for a substitute. Also , I sometimes times Italian green beans. Thanks for this receipt!
Canellini beans would be a good substitute – they are an Italian white bean.
You’re right! Canellini beans work great, I use them all the time.
I noticed that in the video she added a cup of water yet it was not in the recipe itself. It might help next time you make it to add that extra cup of liquid:)
Margaret, the 1 cup of water is listed in step 4. 🙂
Excellent
All I can do is agree with everyone else who loved this recipe. I followed exactly and it was a huge hit. My 19 yr old son hates beans but LOVED every bite! I will make this over and over!
Delicious!
I made this a few times and then we went to Olive Garden. My son likes the version I make at home from your recipe better.
Never been a soup maker – I actually make this once or twice a month consistently.
Delicious!!!! Will keep the recipe for future dinners! All i missed was the warm breadstick from Olive Garden. Thank you so much.
Delious!!!!I put the onions garlic carrots celery in the food processor. I don’t process them for too long. I do each veg separate in the processor. A lot easier them dicing everything
My family devours the whole bowl quickly
Once the prep is done, its super easy to make. My family loved it. I will definitely keep this one to make again.
Absolutely the best pasta fagioili replacement anyone can find. Wish there was a way to make 1-2 servings, but I’m ok with eating this everyday for a week. HIGHLY recommend this recipe to everyone. And it’s even better the next day .
This was delicious!! Hubby loved it!! He’d been asking for us to try to make this for years, and I finally looked up a copycat recipe to try out. Followed the recipe exactly except for using only 8oz tomato sauce, and mild Italian sausage instead of spicy. Topped it with Muenster cheese instead of parm because that’s what we had on hand. Adding this to our monthly menu! Thanks!
Too much tomato, I’ll leave out the tomato sauce next time. Sausage sounds like a good idea if I make it again.
Best recipe ever. I don’t alter a thing and it is delicious. I make this at least once a month.
I love this soup! I wanted to try making @home and I saw your recipe.I can do this! Made it for myself for lunch one day. I’m hooked. Now time to try for the family.
Being in quarantine, I used up what was on hand and substituted for what I didn’t exactly have. (Ground pork,chickpeas, Rotel tomatoes w/chilies @chipotle peppers, leftover black beans, elbow pasta) wow it was good. A little spicy but that’s what garlic bread is for!
Yep, as the name says, Damn Delicious! I didn’t change a thing, but I did top my first and second bowls of this delicious soup with some grated parmesan cheese. Fantastic!
Delicious even for me cuz I am a terrible cook. My only suggestion is to specify how much salt and pepper instead of “to taste”. That is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. You might say, to MY taste, I used this amount of s and p.
I’ve made this a lot this winter since I found your recipe, but always with Mild Italian sausages. Now I’m changing it up a bit and doing it with Hot Italian sausage, my husband’s favorite so I’ll see how this goes. I’m loving this soup!
This soup is perfection. My family loves it so much it’s in the monthly rotation. I happened to have leftover Heirloom white beans (Marcella) and it was spectacular. Sometimes I’ll add a few handfuls of spinach to this. Either way, fabulous soup, perfect as written. Thank you for sharing.
Delicious
This is an excellent recipe. I make this almost once a week. I veganized it by using vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and i use Beyond Spicy Italian sausage in place of animal sausage.
We make this at least two X per month, kids love it
Fabulous! Added red and yellow peppers the second time I made it. Either way was great. FYI, used vegetarian meatballs and fake sausage first time. Both times were exceptional.
Love this one! I make it with 2x the diced tomatoes and mild italian sausage, since I don’t do spicy. I also add about 1 cup of black beans. I make this one often!
I have made this recipe many times and the recipe has somehow disappeared from the site. The video shows but the recipe does not load. Can you please get the written recipe back up.
I made this soup yesterday and what a hit it was. My husband always orders this from Olive Garden, but he said mine was better. I’m not particularly eager to cook, and I never rate recipes, but this was so delicious and easy to make I had to send my 5 Stars.
My family is obsessed with this soup. Quick, easy and always delicious.
Easily one of my favorite quick and hearty soups. I used a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes instead of the sauce/diced combo- worked beautifully. Thanks for the winner recipe that my whole family including 2 preschoolers LOVES!
Such a flavorful and hearty soup! I used only half a pound of Italian sausage and it was still great. Otherwise I would not change a thing about this recipe. My husband raved about it. I served it with garlic bread. You could add a salad and it would be a meal in itself.
I use both ground beef and sausage in this recipe and I have to say that each time I make it, it tastes better. This is an amazing Italian dish that is easy to make and delicious to eat. If you like you can also try other substitutes in it. I have put potatoes as well as as artichoke hearts. It always taste different which is good. You do not want to use bid chunks of anything though as it will take the flavor of the soup.
I’ve made this over a dozen times the past few years and each time I can’t get over how easy it is to make – even during the week – and how flavorful. It continues to be a hearty soup go-to recipe in our family.
This soup is delicious. I always have to double it up because my kids love it. I use ground meat instead of sausage
Oh yeah the good stuff just came out of the pan and went to the tummy with the best flavor totally big thumbs up great dish
Very easy, very good , many compliments ! First and only recipe I will use. Thank you
Absolutely delicious! Made it for Xmas Eve and it was a hit!
Soooooo Delicious! I made the recipe as written and we loved it! This is definitely a keeper! Very comforting on a cold winter day!
This was absolutely fantastic. I doubled the recipe. I also used a spicy/hot Italian sausage. Definitely putting in my winter soup rotation.
Would you change any measurements if you doubled this recipe? I want to feed a crowd!!
Wow, spot on. Absolutely delicious. Add a side of garlic bread and your in food heaven.
Can you make this in a crock pot
Definitely crockpot friendly! I make the recipe as written but omit the pasta (it will get mushy). I put it on low, or warm if your crockpot has that setting, until ready to eat. I add pasta with each serving. However, we’ve had this without pasta and never missed it!
My husband’s Sicilian and he adores this recipe.
This is a great recipe!!! Filling and flavourful. Additions included a parmesan rind during cooking, some Worcestershire sauce, and a bit of sugar. It’s also a great vessel for whatever extra veggies you have kicking around (cabbage, cauliflower etc). It makes a fantastic freezer soup too. I simply ladle into individual servings and pile a small amount of cooked noodles on top, then freeze. I’m eating one at my desk right now and it’s so good I had to write a review! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
This recipe always gets two thumbs up. It’s become a go to/request because no matter the age (yes kiddos too) they always head back for more and leftovers never get wasted. I always add extra sausage, mix up my own broth usually 4c using Better Than Bouillon (our taste), and instead of the individual spices I substitute 1tsp of McCormicks Just A Pinch Italian Seasoning. Also, I toss my rinsed cooked pasta with a lil Olive Oil before adding to soup. It helps with absorption and mooshiness. If you haven’t blessed your family and friends with this yummy feel good soup DO IT!!!!!!
This is outstanding in taste and ease of preparation. It is definitely better than OG. Thank you for sharing!
Easy and delicious! I made this recipe with lower sodium broth, no-salt-added tomatoes and beans and if course left out the kosher salt. I added a pinch more garlic and oregano to compensate but was still afraid it would come out bland. I was wrong! The flavors all came through and it was every bit as satisfying as the OG, if not an exact copy. Highly recommended!
Delicious! I noticed almost everyone changes recipes a bit due to what ingredients they have on hand. I used a 32 oz. carton of Chicken broth as didn’t want to waste the rest of it. Also used a 28 oz. can of “Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies” as I did not have a 15 oz. one, but I figured this made up for the xtra cup of water that was cited and as I did not use the “spicy” Italian sausage. The soup was still thick after adding the beans. Thyme is a very strong taste so only used 1/2 tspn. After doing my final taste testing, I added a heaping tablespoon of sugar which made the soup taste perfect. Thank you, finally learned not to add the ditalini until you serve the soup so it won’t get mushy. Have had many mushy soups in the past, LOL. Wouldn’t freeze this soup with the pasta in it either. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Not only delicious! But damndelicious.net! Wow! So good and so easy. If you can read and follow a recipe, that’s all it takes to make a palate pleasing, crowd wowing soup. For our taste, we switched out the kidney beans for butter beans, and used fresh ground Italian sausage made by our local grocery meat department. (Also for our taste and texture.) Plus fresh-made leaves out a bunch of preservatives, nitrates and etc so it’s better for you.
Just made this tonite. Super easy and rich. 3 of the canned items were from the mark down bin. I didn’t have macaroni so I cannibalized a box of macaroni and cheese (keeping the cheese powder for use another time.) Especially appreciated the advice to add the cooked macaroni just before serving so it doesn’t soak up all the broth. Bravo. I have photos, but don’t see a spot for those.
In my opinion this version is better than Olive Garden’s! I’ve made this a handful of times and it always turns out great. Will be making this weekend too 🙂 Thanks for sharing this recipe!
do you drain the juice of the beans?
Anytime you use can of beans always always drain off the liquid and I rinse under cool tap water. The gases in the beans will torture your stomach.
Made this tonight, very tasty! It came out very thick though so next time I may add more chicken broth to thin it out. Thanks for the recipe!
Made it just as stated, no changes and it was delicious!
Made this many times. Making it again this Sunday. A few deviations I make are that I not only use Italian sausage but also
hamburger and prosciutto, which kicks it up a few notches. Also, instead of Northern beans, I use white kidney beans
or
cannellini beans. Those beans should be drained, where the red kidney beans I don’t drain. I also use both dark and light
red kidney beans.
I also use baby carrots, which cuts down some of the prep time. They’re perfect for this soup.
I also use
tomato paste instead of tomato sauce. A nice touch I do is go to OG and buy some breadsticks as they are the best. Everyone who has eaten this go absolutely gaga.
Thank you thank you thank you for such a fine recipe.
I’ve made this recipe many times and it’s easy and delicious every time.
Question one cup pasta was that half 16 oz box? I get confused when it’s cups not ounces etc.
Hi Dana! 1 cup pasta is not quite equivalent to 8 ounces of pasta – I would estimate closer to 4 ounces (ex. for elbow macaroni, 1 cup = 4 ounces, which is slightly larger than ditalini). Do you have measuring cups available?
This recipe calls for icup of water but it’s not in the ingredients list should I add the water or was it a typo thank you love your site. Sue
Yes, the water should be added. Some recipes typically do not include water in the ingredient list. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was legit just like Olive Gardens!
My husband can not get enough of the soup from OG so I attempted to make this recipe for him tonight! He can be almost too honest sometimes when he critiques my cooking. He loved this soup!!! He told me not to change anything!
My sausage was browned and then frozen, and it was not wonderful. Other then that, the soup was tasty! Perfect tomato and spice. Subbed white kidney (cannellini) beans instead of the red kidney. I chose to make the soup to use up leftover cooked macaroni noodles – and the other ingredients 😉 Thank-you! Colleen
I’ve never had pasta fagioli but I heard about it in a Dean Martin song years ago and wanted to try it.(The pasta, not the song). This recipe looked tasty. I made it today and I liked it a lot. Sort of like a chili macaroni but without the Spanish cumin, etc. flavor and not as thick;more like a soup. I used the “hot” store brand ground pork sausage. When I make it again, I will leave out the olive oil or get low fat sausage. Too much grease. That’s why four stars. Otherwise, it is very good and easy to make.
Dan, I have started making this using ground turkey instead of sausage for a leaner meal and have recently stumbled upon a package of Italian seasoned ground turkey in my grocery store. If you can find it, I highly recommend. Its a game changer for sure.
This soup is so tasty, I could eat it once a week, every
week! Plus, it’s loaded with goodies, good for me
goodies! Never thought I’d love something so
nutritious! Thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing, Debbie!
Very hardy and tasty soup that’s easy to make. Thank you!
absolutely YUM!!!!! Love this soup and love the ease of making it!! thank you for posting it!
Better than Olive Garden
Easy and my family loves it
We love that!
Was excellent. Even my 6 year olds enjoyed it! We like a little more thickness to our soups so I did add a small can of tomato paste. It did not alter the flavor, just thickened the soup a little.
Served it with salad and cheesy garlic bread.
You can thicken the soup by smashing some of the beans. That’s the way I like it
I’ve been making this for years, it’s a staple in my family’s request list (I sub the sausage for 1.5 ground beef). I suggest julienned carrots instead of diced the way The OG makes it. You can buy them this way for ease. To me, this texture makes a difference. Thanks for posting!
Made this the other night!! I’m so glad I found this recipe. Having read the reviews on here, I chose to only do a pinch of thyme! I would definitely make it again!
I love this soup. I use marjoram instead of thyme (thyme doesn’t like me) and I put a couple of parmesan cheese rinds in the pot while it’s cooking. The cheese rinds add another layer of rich flavor and make the soup almost silky. Most of the time, I forget to add the pasta.
I have made this as discribed and also with short cuts and either way is great. The easy version is frozen meatballs cut in 1/4 and browned with frozen onion/celery mix added 1 of the snack packs of carrots that is cubes (lunch box sized) and one jar of chunky spaghetti sauce. Add garlic and spices to taste. I pre cook the pasta and add to the hot soup as serving. I like to add kidney beans as well as the northern beans. I do not drain the beans or carrots because the liquid has lots of starch to thicken the soup. (Check for bpa in can liners) I adjust the broth to get the thickness I want. The original version also has a dash of Tabasco.
I added tomato paste. Made the favor of the soup better
Thank you for sharing! It’s absolutely amazing!
I omitted the meat and used vegetable broth
to make it vegan. I kept going back for more!
Delicious!!
Great recipe! Hubby loved it!!
Soooo yummy!! I just want to know who can prep this in just 10 minutes?!?! (excluding professional chefs and speed cutters!! )
Agreed, E!!!! So happy I’m not the only one who took longer to prep lol.
I made it tonight and it was delish!!! Prep was a good :30 minutes though. Granted, I am novice in the kitchen but still. It also took me longer to actually cook the meal. Maybe :25- 30 minutes.
I used 1 lb ground mild Italian sausage and a 1/2 pound of ground sirloin so my child wouldn’t think it was too spicy. I’d like to make the spicy version sometime. I also used only a 1/4 onion.
Served with salad and garlic knots.
My whole family LOVED it though. This is a huge win for a mama who doesn’t cook much from scratch.
This was a fabulous soup on a cold Idaho day. Stupid me did not follow the directions for the pasta. It was great when I first served it out of the pot. Then it sat for a while and turned into Pasta E Goulash! lol It was still great though. Thank you for the recipe. I wrote it down, and will be adding it to my permanent cookbook. My son loves Olive Garden’s take on this, but stated that mine was better. Unlimited soup and breadsticks in my kitchen is a great thing.
Can I come over for dinner?!
The recipe I had said to use V8 juice instead of tomato sauce. Also I read a tip one time after boilong ditali pasta to keep the pasta seperate and add in per bowl. This was a great idea so it doesn’t soak up all the liquid and look like a hotdish rhe next day.
What is the serving size? I see the Nutrition facts label but it doesn’t include serving size.
You would have to divide the full amount by 8 servings to get the serving size. Hope that helps!
This soup is so good and full filling.. I can have it every day for dinner… so easy to make .. thank you
Not spicy like Olive Gardens. That one has a bit of a kick to it.
My Olive Garden ruined it by taking the kick out a few years ago. Have to ask for crushed red pepper. Not the same.Only one with a littlekick is the Suppa Toscana.
Another recipe of yours that’s damn delicious This was a hit for everyone, even my picky, no beans kid. It’s requested to be made again!
We love hearing that!
Can this recipe be made in the instant pot? If so, what modifications are needed?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Loved this soup. Much better than Olive Garden. I used my home canned tomatoes, and cooked for a lot longer. Added uncooked pasta near the end. Ended up canning 7 pints for my lunch. Just open and heat up.
Nov.,27,2028 /pm
We have been eating this soup at Olive Garden when we go there…off&on owner 15 years…BUT today I made it & used this as a go by…..my version I added 2 fresh lbs sweet Italian Sauage, 1 cup of pasta as listed above, added 1 teaspoon of both onion & garlic powder (ran out of garlic), 1 20oz bottle of V8juice, after adding the tomato & cause & both cans of beans drained, I went back added 3/4cup more of pasta and all the chicken stock, then added 2 teaspoons Wooster sauce, and beef bounion I have with no salt.. I tasted it while it cooked 1.5hours on med, then turn it on low. For carrots, I used the very small snack packages of carrots as the are small,cook faster & fast much better.
Have enough to freeze and serve maybe for new years..
I think it’s great
Hi,I read through all the comments looking for serving size. You answered several readers saying that it’s 1 to 2 cups. But the nutritional macros are based on a specific measurement. Can you tell me which the macros are based on…1 OR 2 cups. If it’s 1 cup, calories are 340 per serving…if it’s 2 cups, it’s 680 calories per cup. The sodium is particularly important to me so knowing the correct serving size makes a big difference on how much I can have if the soup, health wise. Thank you!
You would have to divide the full amount by 8 servings to get the serving size. Hope that helps!
Love this soup. So quick and easy
Excellent!
I’ve read that this is not ‘authentic’ due to the addition of the mirepoix (diced onions, carrots, and celery) and the addition of the sausage. I’ve tried many ‘authentic’ recipes, and found them lacking. Sometimes it’s fun to make an authentic dish, but I prefer to make an a dish with ingredients that will yield the most delicious version of the authentic one. Thanks for sharing this!
This was so very delicious and looking forward to many more batches. Followed the recipe but used the instapot for 4 min manual pressure and 5 min natural release instead of the boil and 10-15 min simmer which worked perfectly for the uncooked pasta.
Thanks for sharing
There is one big problem I have with this recipe and that is, after I’ve gotten used to making and eating this delicious soup, the real Olive Garden version I get at the restaurant seems somewhat bland. I guess that’s kind of a good problem to have.
Perfectly delicious! Easy to follow. Wouldn’t change one thing. Everything I have made using this website has been fantastic. You haven’t failed me yet.
We are so happy to hear that!
This was fantastic! A huge hit with both my husband and daughter! A great recipe that’s easy to follow and simple to make for a delicious weeknight meal. Five stars for sure!
Thank you, Jennifer!
Wow that looks so tasty!! The perfect bread dunking dish!!
Do u think I can make this soup with gound meat instead of itslian sausage …
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Of course you can! That’s the only way my Mom made it. Keep the grind course and you will love it.
I’ve made this over and over…love your recipe!!! My family could eat this every week….thanks so much for your amazing recipes.
Thanks, Denise! We love it!
Sorry, may be overlooking, but what is the serving size? One cup?
About 1-2 cups.
OMGOODNESS…this soup is DELICIOUS…Having worked at Olive Garden for several years…i can not tell you how good this soup is…! Thank u sooo sooo sooo very much for this recipe. I thought your version is excellent. I will definitely try your other rcipes now that this one was do incredible…thank u again from the bottom of my heart. My husband is having dental issues…and this is easy for him to get a nice warm delicious meal with great ingredients. I love the fact the kidney and navy beans offer additional protein. One thing I do is grate reggiano parmesan or parmesan cheese over the top just like Olive Garden does. 10 star review…PERFECT…!!!
Thank you for sharing with us, Robin!
Very easy and tasty soup. I added spinach, cannelloni beans instead of northern beans. And I had to use rotini instead of ditalini pasta( it had bugs in it)YUCK! Better than Olive Garden!
Oh no – sorry to hear about the bugs! Glad you had a backup plan!
I have made it before and always comes out good. I use slivered carrots. Going to make tonight. thank you for sharing.
Oh awesome! Let us know how you like it.
It’s “da bomb”. I shared what I made and received comments like “restaurant quality” and “better than any soup I’ve ever made”. I’ll make liquid adjustments, but everything else really works. Thank you.
Wow thank you for that feedback Walt! Awesome 🙂
Hi! Can you elaborate on the calories? In this recipe (and some others), it’ll say 8 servings 340 calories. What is a serving size? It seems to be a lot of calories for 1 serving at 8 oz. I’m trying to lose weight and choose my dishes carefully. I’ve aleays loved your recipes! Thanks for your help:)
Each serving is roughly 1-2 cups.
I made this soup for dinner last night and it was fantastic. I couldn’t wait for lunch today and it tasted even better.
The only thing I did extra is add a Parmesan cheese rind I had in the fridge waiting for a perfect soup or stew.
This is going in the saved recipes file!
Fantastic!
Excellent. I made this exactly as written and served it with some crusty ciabatta. SO good – thanks!
This soup was delicious! My family loved it. I made a double batch and served the macaroni on the side.
I added two more cups of chicken broth, it wasn’t enough at all. Otherwise delicious. My husbands fav.
This was very good. I made minor changes-less sausage, (mild: drained and rinsed), mix of beef and chicken stock, no tomato sauce, white wine deglaze, great northern beans instead of kidneys and a spoon of pesto subbed for the herbs. We enjoyed it but to me it was more like minestrone than the pasta e fagioli I’m used to. I’ve never had the OG version and I get that this is a copycat of that. We’ll have this again (love all the recipes I’ve seen on your site) but for pasta e fagioli I’ll stick to the less chunky veg/creamier version.
This is my go-to recipe for Pasta e Fagioli. It’s delicious every time!
This looks great and very close to the real Olive Garden recipe. I worked at Olive Garden eons ago and used to make this very soup. The actual recipe calls for both ground beef & Italian sausage (equal proportions of each) as well as a hint of Tabasco. Can’t wait to try this. Thanks for posting it.
Absolutely delicious. I made a second batch just to freeze-minus the pasta. No more canned soup or the overly salted Olive garden version. Thank you for a wonderful way to warm up without feeling bloated and overly full. I wonder do you have any recipes using ground lamb? I recently purchased some in bulk when it was on sale. Any recommendations would be great.
I actually do not at this time – sorry!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve already shared this soup with several family members and friends (who in turn, asked for the recipe!). Everyone agreed that it was better than Olive Garden’s! It’s going to make winter bearable this year!
Love this! I add an extra can of tomato sauce and no diced tomatoes (our family doesn’t like them) and it still tastes great. I also like to add spinach for some extra flavor! In addition, we also substitute ground turkey for the sausage. Love love love!!
Thank You for the recipe, my kids loved the soup. They said that it almost tasted like the Olive Garden version. It tasted good even though I used ground beef instead of sausage.
I got the northern beans at a local store called aldi
I have made this soup several times , it’s my go to soup. I have to say it’s the best darn delicious soup I ever had. I used turkey sausage and a kosher chicken stock. Yummy!
I worked at Olive Garden for several years. I am impressed, this is damn close to the actual recipe. There are a few things that differ. In the original recipe they use a 3 to 1 mix of ground beef to sweet Italian sausage. They also use beef broth not chicken. Beef broth adds much more body and warmth to the soup. At one point we also deglazed with red wine after the vegetables had been sauteed, but I believe they didbaway with this process.
Good tasting. But I did cut back on the thyme. Delicious meal. My family loved it
This is delicious, sometimes I add some bell peppers to the mix as well. Also super easy to make and didn’t take too much time either.
This soup originally is made with a ham bone, broth, veggies, white beans and is amazing! I used it make it when I had a house full. Mow I want to make it again, the original Italian way. This comes from an Irish gal!! It is to die for….
Made this today and it was fabulous! I couldn’t find the type of noodle it called for so I used Small Shell pasta. It would be great with Turkey sausage too! Thanks for sharing!
This dish is very good! Make it all the time and actually cook it in my pressure cooker, raw noodles and all, for 10 minutes. I cook this on the nights when kiddos are busy and we still want a home cooked meal! Love it! Thanks for sharing!
I make this almost weekly in the winter, and monthly throughout the rest of the year. I add about 5 shakes of Worcester shire sauce while it cooks in my crockpot. So delicious!
I make this often. Mostly when a friend is sick or in need. Then double the batch and have lots for our family for dinner and lunches too. It’s a huge hit with everyone. I’ve also frozen it and it heats up well. Then again, we aren’t too picky if the pasta is a little soft. The flavors are gorgeous. Definitely in my top list of “go to” recipes. Thanks!!
Made this on Saturday and will eat off it in the coming work week. I followed the recipe but my veggies were still crunchy. (My fault for not testing them before moving on to the next step. I wound up laboriously scooping the carrots and celery out and then cooking them a bit longer in another pot before adding back into the soup.) When I make it again, I think I’ll cut the pasta back to 1/2 or 3/4 cup. I’ll also use more liquid. Four cups wasn’t enough for me — just one person, eating the soup primarily as leftovers. Very yummy soup, though. Thank you for the recipe.
Damn delicious is right! Made recipe just as stated, and love it.
I like that you have nutrition information but am wondering what the serving size might be. 1 cup?
Yes. About 1-2 cups.
I added 1/4 cup of pickled beet juice to my tomatoes and homemade sauce. No thyme – fantastico!
I rarely comment on anything…. but, oh! my! goodness! This is amazing. We are Olive Garden fans, and even the kids said this was WAY better. My only changes were: I doubled it, I did not drain any of the beans or sausage, which then I used a little less broth and I put in about 3 good tsp (eyeballed, Italians are not good at measuring) Italian seasoning.
Also it took a bit longer to prep (and I bought matchstick carrots) but I have no complaints. This is fabulous. Thank you for sharing!!
Not draining the beans makes for a thick soup, if you dare call it soup. Draining your sausage will cut down on the fat content considerably, and leave less nasty grease at the top of your soup. Try it with beef broth and a 3 to 1 mix of ground beef to sweet sausage. That is the original OG recipe.
Also there is no basil in the OH recipe.
GREAT soup– makes a huge pot, and freezes great too!
I used a 3 cup carton of chicken broth, no water– and agree with other poster about the thyme! (JUST A PINCH)-otherwise it overwhelms the basil and oregano.
You will need to thin in out with broth if you eat it the next day though- the pasta absorbs the liquid, and it becomes like a stew. But, this is absolutely one of my fave Fall/Winter soups to make– THANKS for this recipe!
Hi guys, I’ve just made this soup and it was more than DELICIOUS!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Pd: Not recommended if you are on a diet, because you’re going to eat….
We are vegan but this is my favorite recipe so I sub out the sausage for sliced artichoke hearts and the chicken stock for veg stock. It comes out perfect every time! Thank you!
So glad I found this recipe! I knew it had to be good when it comes up first in Google over Rachael Ray and Giada De Laurentiis! Anyway, the recipe itself was very simple and easy to make. I have a cold so it was nice to whip up something homemade, delicious, and in little time. It is also a keeper recipe because my husband, who “doesn’t like soup”, kept commenting about how delicious and hearty it was! 😉
Thank you for sharing your recipe, I will have to check out more–they all look phenomenal!
Vegetarian just omit the meat!!! I made this as is but no meat, no substitutes no additions. Except I did serve with crushed chilli flakes and parmesan cheese. Fabulous. I may try adding one cup broth and one small chopped up zucchini next time but it really is perfectly delicious and hearty without. Definitely cook pasta separate and add to bowl then pour soup over top. Great texture.
I made this the other night for dinner and it came out fabulous! I can’t wait to have the leftovers tonight for dinner. Next time I think I’m going to add some more veggies, maybe some kale and zucchini. Yummy!
How big is the serving? A cup? Cup and a half?
About 1-2 cups.
I made this today, and now waiting for the dough to finish rising to put breadsticks in the oven for dinner tonight. I used sweet Italian sausage, and garlic powder, instead of garlic. I now have a new comfort food. Thanks for posting.
I have made this recipe several times and my family absolutely loves it. I made it for my parents when they visited and they loved it too. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Planning in making it tonight again.
You say to saute the vegetables until tender (3-4 minutes) and then to simmer until the vegetables are tender (10-15 min). This seems to be contradictory.
I’d expect that the first step is to cook until the onions are tender, and the second until the carrots are tender. Any thoughts?
Carl, you want to saute the veggies first, letting them caramelize a bit. Then they can get nice and tender when they simmer. But as always, please do what you are most comfortable with to suit your preferences.
Awesome recipe! Easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Chungah, I just wanted to say thank you. I’m a full-time high school teacher and mom of three boys (6, 4, & 2), and I found myself struggling to make food that actually tasted good in a short amount of time. Then I came upon your recipes, and there isn’t a dish I’ve made that my family hasn’t devoured. So thank you, thank you, thank you. You truly have blessed our family! And it may be 90 degrees outside, but this soup is divine!
OMG this is exactly like what we had last week! Sooo delicious! Wonderful recipe!
Made this tonight. Absolutely delish! Only change made was used Turkey Italian Sausage and zucchini. So good! Will make again. Thanks for sharing.
Best soup ever! Loved it! Truly better than Olive Garden’s! I used Trader Joe’s spicy Italian sausage and ground beef.
Thanks for the recipe, it’s a big hit with my family! My young boys are notoriously picky, so I’m glad to find something to add to the menu. This last time I didn’t precook the noodles and just added them at the same time as the tomato sauce and stock. I also experimented with adding zucchini (trying to get the veggies in any way I can with my kids, lol).
I have been making this soup for about a year and everybody loves it. I had this soup for the first time at Olive Garden last night and this recipe is definitely better than the one served at the restaurant. Thanks!
I’m a university student and I made a pot of this the other night… It froze beautifully and now I have a good healthy dinner to eat when I don’t feel like cooking – and it reminds me of my Italian family back home. Thank you for this!! Love your site
Thank you SO much for posting this recipe! I went to a girlfriend’s house this weekend and she made this for dinner. It was so easy, seriously she was done chopping, adding and cooking within 35 minutes. That’s incredible for a woman with two children under the age of 2! Literally made this after she sent me your URL and have been raving about it around the office. You’re recipe is now on three of my co-workers dinner menus this week! ♥
Thank you for sharing!
P.S. I try not to eat a lot of pasta so I subbed the noodles with cut up cooked shrimp (from Costco) instead. It’s like a Jumbo and it’s just as amazing. Thank you!
Deeeeelishhhhh!!! This was so easy to make and so delicious, but I agree that it needs a little bit more chilli / cayenne so will add that next time even though I used a pasata with added chilli as well as the spicy sausage. This is definitely going to become a staple in our house!
Made this tonight and it was delicious!!!
I just made this and I’d have to say it’s the best soup I’ve made so far! I did use 28oz of tomato sauce instead of 16 and. 10oz can of diced tomatoes with chili peppers in it so it has a little more of a kick but it’s so good!!! Thanks 🙂
Wow! This soup is SO good!
It’s a cold wet Sunday here in New Hampshire, so we have a fire going in the wood stove and this soup simmering in the kitchen.
I’ve been “taste testing” as it simmers, and it’s excellent!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I made this today and it is spot on and I think even better than OG. Love your blog!
Love this soup. Never had it at Olive Garden so your version is the first time I’ve ever tasted it. And man is it good. The sausage gives it enough kick and I love the thickness of it over time. I find that reheating it releases the extra liquid to soak it up with some crusty bread. Thank you for the recipe love your images and blog
This was wonderful!
This came out delicious. I used a combo of spicy sausage and beef and added some sage, rosemary and Fennel. The addition of chicken broth gave this a very hearty multi layered flavor. It was perfect for a co;d day like today.
Fabulous! Just tried it and it turned out damn delicious! Ha-ha! I tweaked the recipe a little: ground sirloin, 3/4 cup dried cranberry beans cooked in a pressure cooker for 22 min on high, cannelloni beans, no added water, pinch of sugar, only 1/2 cup pasta, and crushed red pepper for zing! Awesome recipe 🙂
Awesome recipe!! My fiancé LOVES it. I make it for him a lot. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Loved this version… my whole family loved it … delicious
Hi- so I’d like to freeze a batch of this soup for later use. Can I make it all – omitting the pasta, freeze it and then simply thaw and add pasta when needed?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Olive Garden website actually lists hamburger instead of sausage…so I am really excited to try this recipe but I think I will substitute the sausage with beef. I want it to taste as much like the OG version as I can…it is like food for my soul! SO GOOD!! Especially with the cold and rainy week like we have had. Welcome to Fall ya’ll!! 🙂 Can’t wait to make this 🙂
Despite the 90 degree temp outside, I tried this recipe for the first time today – and it was A-MAZ-ING!! I followed this recipe exactly as it said – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! 🙂
Made this last night – what a hit it was!! My boyfriend just kept telling me how delicious it was. Thank you for such a great recipe.
OH MY GOSH….I made this for my family and everyone of them from my hubby to my tiniest 4 year old LOVED it! I did make one small change though. I used my homemade beef bone broth instead of chicken broth. It’s WAY better thsn Olive Garden and no MSG makes my mama heart thrilled to serve it!
I LOVED this recipe! I’ve tried quite a few of yours, and I have been so happy with the meals each time. They are easy and they taste so good. Sincerely thank you for sharing them, It’s been a lot of fun to cook using them
Wow did this today or lunch. Really, really good, so close to the famous one. I think the Italian sausage was important, (Johnsonville mild in my case).
Wow!!! I made this soup today!!! Boy was it good!! Better than O.G. Thanks
for sharing!!
made this soup tonight !! was greattttt. my boyfriend wanted more protien ( hes a work out fanatic lol) so i made home made turkey meatballs and added them in as well, i also used tortelini instead of the pasta just to switch it up!! was soooo good! thank u for this great recipe! 🙂
This was the bomb! Made a lot, but we won’t mind a bit eating leftovers. Used fresh chicken sausage, half sweet and half spicy and that was just right. I added red pepper flakes to my bowl and DH was happy.
I used a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage…..everyone loved it.
This was outstanding… Loved it. My family wanted the recipe. Thank you!!! Love your website.
I don’t have celery, will green bell pepper taste OK?
Yes, green bell pepper should be just fine.
Delicious recipe and easy to made. Exactly what a taste.
Making it in my crock pot as I write this. Tastes very, very good so far. Used half sausage and half ground beef. Used a can of cannellini beans and a can of black beans. Added a bit of sugar and lemon juice…plus Italian seasoning in addition to the other herbs. Will add the cooked pasta as I serve it.
Omg amazing – thank you!!! I love the OG version but this is even better. It’s much lighter and I actually know what’s in it 🙂
Only two small adjustments: no beans (I’m not a fan) and I added about 2.5 teaspoons of sugar to offset the acid in the tomatoes. Will def be doing this again.
Thank you.I have been looking for this recipe.Ever since i had it on nutria system
Made this soup today. Decided next time instead of cooking the pasta separately just add it to the soup during the 10 minutes of simmering at the end. Doesn’t make sense to me to dirty another pan. Also, the pasta gets done way before the soup. So it sat in the colander getting all clumpy and gooey until I added it to the soup. I would at least recommend waiting to cook the pasta until later in the process if you cook it separately, as it is a smaller pasta and doesn’t take long to cook.
Otherwise I loved the recipe. Very good. With a little bit of spice from the spicy sausage, would definitely recommend it. Had to omit great northern beans as I couldn’t find them in the Hyvee here. Just ended up using some cannellini beans. Tasted just fine with those. Will make again.
Rachel, cooking the pasta in the same pot as the soup certainly saves you an extra dirty pot but if you plan on having leftovers, I would advise against it. The pasta will soak up all the liquid and you’ll end up with very clumpy pasta noodles later on!
I also used a can of Fire roasted tomatoes. I did not have the white bean so I used pinto beans, I also used a combination of very lean ground beef and turkey sausage. I used only kosher chicken stock and the crushed fire roasted tomatoes. The flavor of this soup was outstanding, very warm and comforting on a very cold and chilly day. I am getting ready to make another pot of this wonderful soup today.
I used a can of the Fire Roasted Tomatoes and it was so delicious with a hint of that charred favor!
I made this last night and I am very pleased with how it turned out. I used spicy Italian sausage and added spinach at the end. The leftovers are also great! Thanks!
This soup was delicious! I stuck to the recipe and then made a second batch adding 2 more cups of broth, a green zucchini, some chopped spinach, and red pepper flakes.
This was my first visit to your site but it certainly won’t be my last. I followed your recipe as written with the small exception of using a bit of fresh thyme for the dried. My house smelled great and my husband loved it. Next time I plan on halving the recipe, as it makes a ton, and trying to make a separate vegetarian batch so that I can try it
Thank you
i love this type of soup. Do you have any tips for storing the soup so it doesn’t dry out the next day?i find the pasta or something absorbs all the liquid.
It is best to store the pasta separately and add as needed for serving, or else the pasta will soak up all of the liquid!
I made this for the first time on Halloween, and I used fresh thyme, oregano and basil from my herb garden. The next time, during winter, I used dried herbs. It was still good, but not as wonderful as the first time. Fresh herbs in the winter are expensive of course. But to get that superior taste, I bought them at the supermarket today. I’ll also make spaghetti soup this week to ensure the leftover herbs don’t spoil. Next year, I’m expanding my herbs to harvest, puree and freeze into ice cubes, We are spoiled. Every dish is better with fresh herbs!
I’ve been making this soup for a long time. I’ve found Spicy V-8 is a great enhancer-a little kick. Also, I keep the pasta separate from the soup ’til serving time. The pasta soaks up too much of the broth. I have frozen leftover soup (after making a double batch) and then boil fresh noodles for each thaw and serve. I found adding more tomato or V-8 Juice dilutes the seasoning otherwise. This recipe is an Autumn through Winter favorite here in MN.
This is on the stove right now! But after I finished I realized I didn’t drain and rinse the beans!! Uh oh!! Hope it still comes out good!! :/
❤️ This recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!! I can’t stop making this soup…my family loves it. Since I discovered your recipe, it’s been almost a weekly staple. Thanks for your wonderful recipes! Your creamy spinach parmesan orzo has also become s fixture. Happy Holidays!
I want to make this recipe today, can I use ground beef instead of pork sausage? If so is it ok to still use chicken broth?
Yes, that should be fine, but it is really best to use sausage to obtain the best results possible.
I end up using half a pound of ground beef and half of mild Italian sausage..I’m making this in the crock pot right now and it smells good. Cant wait to try it.
Just wanted to say thank you for a great recipe! I ended up using 1/2 lb of spicy Italian sausage, and 1/2 lb single source grass-fed beef, and it turned out wonderfully. On a rainy Bay Area night, this hit the spot,
I’m going to try Chicken for my meat and stewed tomatoes for my tomatoes….I will let you guys know how it turns out….also, I will freeze some of it…if goes well, i’ll take to my daughters for Christmas..
Delicious! Made this today & my family loved it. The only thing I would do differently next time is add the cooked pasta to the serving bowl & add the soup on top instead of mixing the cooked pasta into the soup. It absorbs so much liquid so quickly!
AWESOME, I SIMPLY ADDED A LITTLE CRUSHED RED PEPPER.
TASTES JUST LIKE THE PASTA FAGOLI AT OLIVE GARDENS, MAYBE A LITTLE BETTER
Thanks
After months of procrastination, I decided today was the day to find a recipe on line for Pasta e Fagioli. This recipe popped up first and, after reading some of the comments, I decided to give it a try. My, oh my! Your recipe was spot on, Chung-Ah. Thank you for sharing this. I knew it was really good when I tasted it. When I served it for dinner, my girl friend’s response was “UMMMmmm” to her very first spoonful.
For any of you out there looking for THE recipe for O.G.’s Pasta e Fagioli soup, look no further. This is it.
Thanks again, Chung-Ah.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was great! Everyone loved it. I doubled the recipe and froze half the batch for another night. I added two tablespoons of crushed red pepper to add some zing to it. I will definitely make this again.
Made this for dinner tonight. Husband, who was not excited as he isn’t fond of the OG version, loved it and agreed that it’s 100x better than the original. So good, in fact, that he asked for leftovers tomorrow night! Damndelicious is my new go-to site for recipes. Thanks so much for the recipe.
This soup was a huge hit! I also took some to a friend recovering from surgery and she loved it. I’ll be making it again next weekend for a soup swap. I think it will freeze just fine but I am going to leave the pasta out and attach it dry in a little baggie to be cooked and added at time of serving so it doesn’t get mushy. Thanks for a great recipe!!
If you wish to use fresh cooked pasta with a 1 cup microwave reheat of a thawed soup, use top ramen noodles in place of the ditalini. KISS
Recipe just looks fantastic! There’s just two of us and I was wondering if you knew if this would freeze well or if you wouldn’t recommend it. Either way, this one is getting made this week! Thanks so much!
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
This will freeze just fine. Be sure to defrost before reheating though (or you will have broken noodles and beans from breaking apart the chunks). I usually just freeze it in a freezer bag and, when I want it, leave it out until it’s defrosted. It will thicken a lot after you freeze and reheat it so you may want to add more broth.
This freezes well, for single servings, 8 ounce mason jars are ideal.
I have successfully frozen a slightly different version of Pasta Fagioli.
This freezes very well, for single servings, use Mason jars, thaw overnight, pre heat thermos containers with boiling water , warm soup in microwave, add to thermos and lunch is ready. Include crackers and veggies to create a healthy lunch. Bon Appetite.
My daughter made this delicious soup today, and it is truly that!! She used half mild and half hot Italian sausage, as she is feeding small children.
This recipe is a definite keeper! Thank you.
She served it with homemade breadsticks..mmm good
This was great! I substituted the sausage for ground turkey, and it came out delicious.
Made this delicious soup today. Bravo! Garbanzo beans substituted for the beans listed, only because it was on hand. Trick I learned from great-aunt is to purée 1 can of the beans & stir in when you add 1 can of whole beans. This is to add texture as well as hiding some of the beans. This is a personal preference. We also topped the soup with grated cheese & served with garlic toast.
By 2 stalks of celery do you mean 2 sticks (ribs) or 2 whole bunches of celery?
I mean 2 ribs – 2 whole bunches of celery would be too much!
Good question, I had the same thought!
Made this last night. Was looking for a quick but hearty soup recipe on Pinterest and I’m SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GLAD I found this one. Best soup I’ve ever had. Love the spice. Thank you for posting!!
Do you drain beans before adding to pot or leave the juice?
Penny, as indicated in the recipe, the beans should be drained and rinsed prior to using.
This looks fantastic! Can it be made in a crock pot?
Ellen, please understand that it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to the slow cooker method without further recipe testing. I recommend using your own judgement to convert this recipe to utilize a slow cooker.
I make it in the crockpot all the time–no changes necessary 🙂 I just brown the sausage on the stovetop first. Occasionally I will sautee the veggies as well but usually just throw it all in the crock.
Made this for dinner tonight. Super easy and super good! Only thing I did different was instead of cooking the pasta first; I just added the uncooked pasta to the soup while it was simmering. I needed to add a little extra broth/water in the end after it had soaked up in the pasta; but a 1 pan clean up is worth it 🙂 Thanks for this great weeknight recipe that I could make after work and have dinner ready for me and my boys.
You forgot to mention when to add the beans
Sal, please read the directions carefully. The addition of the beans is already written in the recipe.
I don’t see where it says to add the beans either.
Mish, it is listed in the second to last step:
Stir in pasta and beans until heated through.
It may also be helpful to use the CTL+F to search for specific words within a recipe.
where can i buy ditalini pasta? can i buy it at any local market? like sprouts or trader joe’s?
The local market should have it, but I was unable to find it at trader joe’s.
this soup & the quinoa chili were such delicious and healthy recipes! All the kids at my party loved them! i couldn’t find ditalini in my area so i just diced little pieces of penne & it worked just the same. thank you!
Mini shells would also be a child pleasing option for the soup.
Target has the pasta
I actually found Barilla brand at Walmart, and I was shocked, as I had already looked at 2 different grocery stores!
Ronzoni makes ditalini pasta. If you can find ditalini, you can use something very similar called tubetti.
You can use small pasta shells. They will hold some of the soup too.
You can replace the sausage with ground turkey its just as delicious!!! 🙂
This is an excellent recipe, though it took me closer to 50 minutes from start to end. I couldn’t find the exact pasta, so I put in the mini elbow pastas instead. I’ve also had the Olive Garden chemical/salt version of this soup, and it is not very good.
Finally made this dish and it was a big hit with all.
Every Day is soup day. It’s light just by way of being soup.
As a kid I hated soup, but now I love it any time of the year! Great recipe, Chung-Ah!
Can this be made without the sausage?
You can certainly omit the sausage but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste of the dish.
Are these beans in a can, or can I substitute .
Yes, these beans are canned. They should be fairly easy to find.
If I leave out the northern beans will this change taste, Marie from Ontario , Canada
Marie, the taste should be not be altered too much if the northern beans are omitted.
My husband doesn’t like Northern beans, so I just use another can of Red Kidney beans and it still taste perfect!
Yes, absolutely!
Kidney beans are for making chile,
cannelloni beans are for making pasta e fagioli. And it’s not suppose to be too red, more white. I get a kick out of how people murder these recipes.
I just had this soup last night at Olive Garden and it does have kidney beans in it plus great northern beans. Trying this tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe.
Gorgeous comfort food!
Where can I get great northern beans or a substitute.
Order thru Amazon prime pantry Progresso Canneloni beans are authentic
Oh, please do not go through the trouble to order these online. Every grocery in America carries them. They are a very common white bean.
My Mom swore by kidney beans I find any bean works. I used one can pinto one can White beans Caannelini. I put in 1 LB of pasta instead of 1C .Taste good it dried up I had to add 2 C more
water,
i got mine at work, its this local grocery store called food 4 less… they are only here in california but we are owned by the kroger company… so our “store brands” are the kroger bands… and i know there are a few Kroger stores on the east coast side… so depending on where you live search up kroger owned stores and you will find them there 🙂
Just a note if it can help others,. Food 4 Less is also in certain areas of Illinois and Indiana.
Food 4 Less is also in Vegas. Kroger’s is also Smith’s Food King and in Cheyenne Wyoming it’sKing Soopers. They have a lot of names
Kroger… Publix….Great Northern B eans in cannear kidney beans…etc
Wow! What a coincidence! Just happened to have a quart of another copycat pasta e fagioli (Tom Wilbur’s TopSecretRecipes) thawed from the freezer that we are having for dinner tonight. I will have to try yours with the Italian sausage. MIne uses ground beef. Between the beef and V-8 juice instead of broth, they are very similar. I also think the Olive Garden version has a slight kick to it so I usually add a bit of cayenne to it.
Carmen: did you reduce the amount of chicken broth and sub more tomato sauce or V-8 juice? I want to be sure I get the amounts correct. Thank you!
Wondering why CHICKEN broth when you have sausage in the soup?
I’ve mixed and matched broths/stock for years. Depends what I have on hand.
This soup is the best! All I need is a hearty loaf of bread and I’m set!
Best soup on the planet!! And, it’s barely 60-degrees in this part of the country, thus a bowl of this is all good with me. Even if it was 200-degrees… I’d still slurp it up!
you can use elbow macaroni or bowties too anything small.
Thank you. A nice recipe. Have a Great Week!
Olive Garden. Ahhh, the memories of going there underage in college with this guy I was dating at the time. When he wanted to impress me, that’s where he took me 🙂 I am super impressed at this copycat version you made! Wow, they need to hire you!
GREAT soup, Chungah! Thanks for the recipe! I substituted turkey sausage, for regular, added a lil Majorim, and made it in the crock pot, but otherwise kept pretty much to the recipe. delish!!
You can play with this recipe. I used to make it with no broth only water and sauce. My friend made it with sauce only. I added meatballs instead of sausage today. Best to cook the onion in oil 7 minutes and garlic 4 minutes in oil first for flavor. I cook the onion in the same pot my soup goes in ,a 4 qt pot.
I put a little red wine in mine and it really amped up the flavor!
A bowl of pure comfort has never hurt anyone, even in a 100F weather! Looks delicious and so good for you!
Great cheap meal. I do it with no meat. I add ring peppers cheese Black olives.
I don’t use the meat either…..I put zucchini in it’s place and have thrown fresh spinach in it. My husband is not big on onion, tomatoes….so I get this all to myself. I do share with friends.
Way Way Way Too Much Thyme. All you can taste !! To Bad thyme totally dominated this dish!! Just a pinch next time ..
I just use dry Italian seasoning couple shakes does the trick!
Three fourths of a teaspoon of thyme is not very much thyme at all.
It is to me. For some reason, thyme and I don’t play nice together digestively wise. I made a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, and used the amount of thyme they said to use, which I didn’t think was too much for the amount of food cookig, and MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They thyme way overpowered the recipe and my husband wouldn’t even eat seconds or the left overs. I have to go easy on the thyme whenever I cook with it.
OMG, I thought I was the only one! I also cut way back on the thyme in recipes, it overpowers the other flavors (imo)…
I can’t use thyme either – tastes like soap to me. I’ll use marjoram in its place sparingly.
I made this a few months ago when it started to get cold out. It’s my husbands favorite at Olive Garden, so I though I’d give it a shot. We love it so much, I have made it once a month since! It makes so much, so you will have left overs if your family is small =) Love this recipe thanks for sharing!!!!