Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
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A super easy, no-fuss copycat recipe that’s wonderfully hearty and comforting, except it tastes 100x better than the restaurant-version!

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what is pasta e fagioli?
Pasta e fagioli is a classic Italian soup literally translating to “pasta and beans”. This is typically made with vegetables, a variety of beans and pasta in a tomato broth.

why i love this recipe
- One pot dinner. This is one of those soups that come together so easily on the stovetop in a single pot, even the uncooked pasta gets cooked right in (unless you’re cooking it separately for leftovers). One pot means less clean up, less dishes!
- Uses pantry staples. The ingredient list may seem long, but most of the ingredients use pantry essentials, sparing you from that emergency grocery run.
- Freezer-friendly. Pasta e fagioli freezes very well sans pasta, making it perfect to stock up the freezer for those cold winter nights, for new moms or for those recovering from surgery.

tips and tricks for success
- Use short cut pasta. Ditalini, macaroni or a small shape pasta similar in size to the vegetables and beans is ideal.
- Save leftover Parmesan rinds. Get more out of those expensive Parmesan cheeses by using up the leftover rinds! Adding a Parmesan rind slightly thickens the broth and adds a level of nutty richness to the soup.
- Add leafy greens. Pasta e fagioli is a great way to sneak in some greens for those picky eaters. Stir in kale, spinach, cabbage, swiss chard or collard greens near the end of cooking time until wilted.
- Stir in more stock with leftovers. When reheating leftovers, stir in more stock as needed as the pasta will continue to soak up the broth. The pasta can also be cooked and stored separately.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!

what to serve with pasta e fagioli
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli: Frequently Asked Questions
Ground beef or ground turkey will work very well here. Pancetta or bacon are also great additions.
Pasta e fagioli can absolutely be made in the crockpot, cooked low and slow for 7-8 hours. Recipe here.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the pasta (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked pasta and a splash of broth (if needed) when serving.

Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 (3-inch) Parmesan rind
- 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
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat 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; set aside.
- Add onion, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, basil, oregano and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in Italian sausage, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, pasta and Parmesan rind; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Stir in beans until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan.
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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.