Olive Garden's famous Pasta e Fagioli soup is good on cold Fall nights or rainy cool days. Pasta e Fagioli is the ultimate cozy Italian-inspired soup. This hearty recipe combines tender pasta, creamy beans, vegetables, tomatoes, and Italian seasonings in a flavorful broth. It is inexpensive, filling, and easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner.
Sometimes called Pasta e Fagioli, which simply means pasta and beans, this classic comfort food is especially delicious on a chilly day. The beans add plenty of heartiness, while the pasta makes the soup satisfying enough to serve as a complete meal.
Need more WW recipes? Try these! Weight Watchers Pizza (Chicken Alfredo), Weight Watchers Fried Rice, or Easy No Boil Manicotti
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Why You Will Like This
This Pasta Fagioli recipe is simple, flavorful, and made with everyday ingredients. The combination of vegetables, beans, tomatoes, and broth creates a rich soup without requiring hours of cooking.
The pasta cooks right in the soup, soaking up all those delicious Italian flavors as it becomes tender. Cannellini beans add a creamy texture and make the soup more filling, while Italian seasoning, garlic, and Parmesan give it plenty of flavor.
It is also a great make-ahead meal. The soup reheats beautifully, making it perfect for leftovers or meal prep.
Where I live Ditalini pasta can be super hard to find. There are two local grocery stores here and neither of them has that shaped pasta. I have to go to Wal-Mart just to find it and when I go there. I'll pick up a couple of boxes of ditalini and those breadsticks for this soup. There are lots of yummy zero point foods in this soup!
Ingredients for Olive Garde Pasta Fagioli
- Ditalini - is a classic choice, but small shells, elbow macaroni, or another small pasta will work.
- 8 oz of sweet Italian sausage (can sub turkey sausage or chicken sausage)
- Onion: Adds sweetness and savory flavor.
- Carrots: Give the soup a subtle sweetness and hearty texture.
- Celery: Adds classic soup flavor and a little crunch.
- Chicken broth - Creates the flavorful soup base. Vegetable broth can be used for a vegetarian version.
- Dried oregano - is a common herb used in cooking, particularly in Mediterranean and Mexican cuisine. It has a pungent, slightly bitter taste and a strong aroma
- Dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste - I never add any extra salt to my soup because there is enough of it in the other canned foods.
- 1 (15-ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can of Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
- Parmesan cheese: Adds salty, nutty flavor and makes the soup even more delicious.
How to make Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Soup
Step 1 Spray a large Dutch oven with cooking spray. Heat to medium-high heat. Add sweet Italian turkey sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, drain excess fat and set aside.
Step 2 Stir in garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 3 Whisk in chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 4 Add in uncooked pasta and beans until heated through.
If you want leftovers of this soup or want to reheat it the next day, it will be very thick. Add in a little extra water before reheating
Pro Tips for Pasta Fagioli Soup
Use a small pasta shape so every spoonful has a little bit of pasta, beans, and vegetables. Ditalini is traditional, but there is no need to make a special trip to the store if you already have another small pasta on hand.
Do not overcook the pasta. It will continue absorbing liquid as the soup sits, so cooking it just until tender helps prevent it from becoming mushy.
For an even richer texture, mash a small portion of the beans against the side of the pot before serving. This naturally thickens the broth.
If you prefer a thinner soup, simply add extra broth. Pasta Fagioli can become quite thick as it cools.
Storage
Allow leftover soup to cool before transferring it to airtight containers. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the soup gently on the stovetop. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating if the pasta has absorbed too much liquid.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Pasta Fagioli with crusty Italian bread, garlic bread, or a simple green salad. A sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh parsley on top makes each bowl even better.
You can also serve it alongside a grilled cheese sandwich for an extra cozy dinner.
Recipe FAQS
Nutrition info is calculated with the zero point food included in the recipe I pay for the WW app monthly to figure out points and use myfitnesspal for nutrition.
The points for the recipe will always be listed in the Notes section of the recipe.
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Weight Watchers Pasta Fagioli
- Prep Time: 10min
- Cook Time: 20-25min
- Total Time: 35min
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: Easy
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Olive Garden's famous Pasta e Fagioli soup is good on cold Fall nights or rainy cool Spring days with sprinkled with some parmesan cheese on top, and a piece of crusty bread! A copycat version you can make at home.
Ingredients
- ½ cup ditalini pasta or large ringed pasta
- 8 oz of sweet Italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 28 ounce can of crushed 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 great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can of Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
- Toppings: parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Spray a large Dutch oven with cooking spray. Heat to medium-high heat. Add sweet Italian turkey sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, drain excess fat and set aside.
- Stir in garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk in chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add in uncooked pasta and beans until heated through.
- Serving size: 1 cup.
Notes
myWW points: Blue 3; Green 5; Purple 3
My WW Personal Points: 5 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 227
- Fat: 7.9g
- Carbohydrates: 24.4g
- Fiber: 4.6g
- Protein: 15.3g
Jenna says
You're welcome!
Linda G. says
I would like to say this soup is a family favorite! It is hearty and delicious. It freezes well and I thank you for the recipe.
It doesn’t hurt that it is relatively good for us as well.
Jenna says
Sometimes I don't look at my recipes for a while until a reader comments on it and I didn't realize the old recipe was 6 smart points. I adjusted the recipe so it is now 3 points per serving but I do need to take a new picture. This current one is bothering the heck out of me and I have a hard time finding ditalini pasta around here.
Linda says
If you get the real thing at Olive Garden, the points are only 2 per serving. Might want to see what you can change in your recipe.
Jenna says
There's 10 servings, divide that into 10 equal portions. 🙂
Maggie says
Can you please tell me what the serving size is? Looks great!
Wendy says
Excellent. I substituted a can of corn instead of pasta and added a can of Garbanzo beans. This made it a 5 point soup per serving. I freeze portions for work and thought may be better than freezing pasta too. Very yummy soup.
Jenna says
Hi Debra, it is now 4 smart points per serving! Thanks.