Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli

Pasta Fagioli, everyone's favorite Olive Garden soup! Or at least everyone's favorite in my family. ☺️

This is also a family favorite at home.  I have tweaked my recipe over the past few years to what I think has reached the perfect taste! The recipe is below, enjoy! (Sorry, I forgot to take pictures last night when I made it...😔)

Pasta Fagioli (Makes a large pot, I would say at least four servings maybe more)

1LB 85/15 ground beef (I get fresh right from the Fareway Deli Counter)

Half onion, minced

3 Carrots, shredded or diced (I use my shredder)

2 Stalks Celery, diced

3-5 Cloves of garlic, minced

1 Can Kidney Beans

1 Can Cannellini beans/White Kidney beans/Great Northern Beans

1 15 oz can chopped or diced tomatoes

1 16 oz can tomato sauce

3 C Homemade Chicken Broth (or store bought - I use water and better than bouillon!)

1-2 t Oregano

1 t Basil

1 t Thyme

2 t Black Pepper

1 t Kosher Salt

1 C uncooked ditalini pasta (more or less depending on how much pasta you like in your soup)

1. Boil water for your pasta. Cook it until almost al dente. You don't want mushy pasta... (I usually drop the pasta in the boiling water when I'm letting the soup simmer).

2. Dice your onion, carrots & celery.  Heat large pot over medium high heat, then add ground beef (salt & pepper your ground beef) then set aside.

3. Add more oil if needed, then toss in your veggies (garlic last so it doesn't burn). Once veggies tender add in chicken broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, beef 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.

4. Now add in your beans! When it returns to a simmer stir in your pasta and cook for about a minute.

Now enjoy this old and very millennial pic of me in an Olive Garden.