Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden copycat)
 
 
Source: Cooking Classy
Ingredients
  • 1 lb lean ground beef or mild Italian sausage
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
  • 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
  • ¾ cup chopped yellow onion (about ½ of a large)
  • 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
  • 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
  • 3-4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1½ tsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ¾ tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. dried marjoram
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 scant cup ditalini pasta, uncooked
  • 1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • Romano cheese (or Parmesan), for serving
Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium high heat, crumble in ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Drain beef and pour into a bowl, set aside.
  2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in same large saucepan, sauté carrots, celery and onion over medium high heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute longer.
  3. Reduce heat to low, add tomato sauce, beef broth, water, canned tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, cooked beef, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Cover with lid and allow to simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies are soft. Meanwhile prepare ditalini pasta according to package directions, cooking to al dente.
  5. Add cooked and drained pasta to soup along with kidney beans, great norther beans and additional 1 cup of broth if desired to thin soup, and allow to cook 5 minutes longer. Serve warm with grated Romano cheese, if desired.
Notes
The longer the soup rests, the more liquid the pasta will absorb so you can thin it with additional beef broth if desired.
Recipe by Dallas Duo Bakes at http://dallasduobakes.com/2014/10/pasta-e-fagioli-soup-olive-garden-copycat.html