The Soup That’s Like Wrapping Yourself in Your Favorite Sweater
If there’s one dish that can convince you that all is right in the world, it’s Pasta Fagioli. This hearty, cozy, and oh-so-satisfying Italian classic has it all—pasta, beans, veggies, and enough flavor to make your taste buds do a happy dance. It’s the kind of meal you can whip up on a weeknight but tastes like you’ve spent all day in the kitchen. Plus, it’s fun to say, fa-zhool! This soup is basically like wrapping yourself in your favorite sweater, and let’s be honest—we all need more of those. So, grab a ladle, and let’s make dinner the highlight of your day!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 of medium onion, diced
- 1 tsp of olive oil
- 1 lb of ground beef (or ground Italian sausage)
- 1-2 tsp of minced garlic
- 2 carrots, diced
- handful of rough chopped spinach or kale
- 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can of crushed tomatoes (you can also use fresh pasta sauce or jarred too)
- 4 cups beef broth (but you can also use chicken or vegetable broth)
- 1 cup ditalini or elbow pasta
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 T of sugar
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional for a little heat)
- Fresh parsley and grated Parmesan for garnish
Instructions:
- Sauté onion in a pan with a little bit of olive oil until the onion starts to soften. Add the ground beef and sauté until almost brown. It can still be slightly undercooked because you will be adding all of this to the crockpot. Add the garlic to the pan and let it simmer for a minute or two then dump everything you sauteed into the crockpot.
- Add the cannellini beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes (with their juice) and carrots to the crockpot. Stir in the oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in the beef broth (or any broth for that matter, I have used them all in this soup), and a can of crushed tomatoes and place the crockpot on low, for several hours or on high for four hours.
- While the soup simmers, cook the pasta separately in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside. (Cooking the pasta separately helps it from getting too mushy in the soup!)
- Stir the cooked pasta into the soup. Add the red pepper flakes if you like a bit of heat. Let everything simmer together for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Ladle the Pasta Fagioli into bowls, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan, and top with chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread for dipping—because every good soup deserves a bread buddy.
Optional Add-ins/Add-ons:
- Add In Italian sausage for a heartier version of the soup.
- Add On/Serve with biscuits or a crusty bread for dipping.
Enjoy your cozy, comforting, and flavor-packed Pasta Fagioli—it’s like a little taste of Italy right at home!