Crock-pot Pasta e Fagioli
How’s the weather been in your corner of the world? I can officially say that we had the hardest February since I’ve been in the Pacific Northwest, and that’s been over 30 years. And I think many of you can say that from your parts too, right? We’ve had more snow this winter than all of my winters combined. I don’t think we’ll ever forget the February of 2019. But now it’s March and that’s all behind us…except for the snow we got this morning. *sigh*
But at the moment the sun is shining brightly, with that crisp, refreshing bite in the air. It’s a great reminder of the renewal and rebirth that happens as spring slowly chases off the darkness of winter.
I’m sharing a recipe that helps warm me up when the temperature dips: Pasta e Fagioli. Over the holidays I had the opportunity to visit Olive Garden a few times. In my goings I finally tried their version of Pasta e Fagioli soup. It literally means “pasta and beans,” and it was fabulous. I’m sure many of you have tried it and savored it as well. Our waitress described the soup as lasagne in soup form. I agree.
I went home and tried to recreate my own version of the soup, of course with my spin using the slow cooker. We’ve enjoyed it several times since. In my mind, this soup will forever be associated with the snow storms of 2019. I think every time I have this soup from here on out, I’ll be brought propelled back to the cozy times we were stuck up on the hill in our house, with snow blanketing everything. So here’s my copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Figioli with the Crock-pot, and I must say, it is scrumptious, satisfying, and savory.
Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
This fix it and forget it meal is filling and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1 Medium Onion diced
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 3 Stalks Celery diced
- 1 Large Carrot diced
- 2 14.5 Ounce Cans Diced Tomato
- 2 15 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 15 Ounce Can Red Kidney Beans
- 1 15 Ounce Can Great Northern Beans
- 4 Cups Broth
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 1/2 Cup Dried Ditalini Pasta or pasta of choice
- Parmesan Cheese or Nutritional Yeast for D-F to Garnish
Instructions
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Brown ground beef in a skillet. Set aside.
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Optional, sauté onions, celery, and carrots in a cast iron skillet until softened. Add garlic in the last 2 minutes.
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Add all the ingredients minus Pasta and Parmesan Cheese into a 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
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Cook pasta according to package directions, and then stir in cooked pasta to the slow cooker in the last 10-20 minutes of cooking.
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Garnish with favorite cheese or nutritional yeast and enjoy!
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Refrigerate leftovers. The flavors meld in the fridge and it’s even more flavorful the next day!
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