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Better than Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Copycat Recipe

A rich and hearty bean, beef, and tomato based soup. Feeds like a meal and is even better than the real thing at Olive Garden!

Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 + servings
Author Ruth V. - Viva Veltoro

Ingredients

  • 1 - 1.25 pounds ground beef
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 large carrots diced
  • 3 stalks of celery diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
  • 1 15 ounce can of red kidney beans with liquid
  • 1 15 ounce can of great northern beans with liquid
  • 16 ounces of V8 - more to taste and for reheating
  • 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons of dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon of dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon of pepper
  • 8 ounces of Ditalini Pasta

Instructions

  1. Brown your ground beef in a large stock pot, just until all the pinkness is gone. Drain the fat if there is much.
  2. Add your onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook for another 5-10 minutes on medium-high, stirring frequently.
  3. Add diced tomatoes, beans with liquid, V8, vinegar, oregano, basil, thyme, and pepper and bring to a simmer for about 45 minutes.
  4. Once you're 45 minutes in, cook your pasta according to the instructions on the box. You'll want it al dente, then drain the pasta.
  5. Add the pasta to your stock pot of soup and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
  6. Serve and enjoy!
  7. The soup will definitely thicken, so I like to add ½ to 1 cup of V8 when I reheat it. Or you could add more tomato sauce.