Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 29 oz can tomato sauce
- 15.5 oz can red kidney beans, drained
- 15.5 oz can cannellini beans, drained
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Ground beef, carrots, celery, beans, and ditalini in a tomato broth are all hallmark elements of Olive Garden–inspired Pasta e Fagioli recipes.
Step-by-step instructions
Brown the beef and sauté the vegetables
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the ground beef. Break it into bite-sized pieces and cook until browned, then transfer the meat to a paper towel‑lined plate. Many copycat recipes drain excess fat at this point for a cleaner broth.
In the same pot, add the diced onion, carrots, and celery (and a bit of oil if the pot looks dry). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and the veggies start to become tender, about 5–8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant. This soffritto step is standard in Pasta e Fagioli for building flavor.
Build the soup base
Return the browned beef to the pot. Add chicken stock, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, bay leaf, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir well and bring the soup up to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let it cook gently for about 20 minutes so the flavors meld and the vegetables continue to soften, similar to the simmer times used in other Pasta e Fagioli recipes.
Cook the pasta and finish
In a separate pot, bring water to a boil. Add the ditalini pasta and cook for 10–12 minutes, until al dente. Drain and stir the cooked pasta into the soup. Cooking the pasta separately, then adding it in, is a method many copycats use to prevent the noodles from over‑softening and drinking up all the broth too quickly.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning if needed. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
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