I got an email from a reader asking if I could clean up Olive Garden’s Pasta E Fagioli Soup. Not only did I clean up the recipe but I made the soup in my slow cooker which means all the hard work was done for me! What’s not to love about coming home to a cooked dinner!
~Sarah
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound raw Italian pork sausage (or lean ground turkey, beef or chicken)
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced
- 1/4 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cups onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) no salt added cannellini beans or a mix of white and light kidney beans
- 1 can (28 ounces) fire roasted no salt added diced tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat orzo pasta, cooked (you can also use 1 1/2 cups tubetti, ditalini pasta or a gluten free pasta)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- shredded Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until softened.
- Add sausage and cook until browned. Drain.
- In your crock pot add sausage mixture, carrot, celery, herbs, tomatoes, water and stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Do NOT add the pasta.
- Cook for 6 - 8 hours on low or 4 - 6 hours on high.
- When ready to serve add the pasta and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.
Nutritional Info:
Makes 10 servings.
Serving size 1 1/2 cups.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 214.5, Cal. from Fat: 26, Total Fat: 7.5g, Sat. Fat: 2g, Carbs: 25g, Fiber: 5.5g, Sugars: 3g, Protein: 10.5g, Sodium: 93mg, Chol: 18mg
Notes:
This soup stores really well in the freezer and is a breeze to reheat and serve. Place any of the unused servings in a freezer safe container and place in the freezer. You can either add the pasta to the soup before freezing or keep it separate. Thaw before use and reheat in a glass container in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on high.
To make this soup on the stove top follow instructions 1 and 2 then add all of the remaining ingredients (except pasta) to the pot. Simmer on medium low heat for 45 minutes. Garnish with pasta and Parmesan cheese and ENJOY!

2 Comments
Made this for dinner a couple nights ago and it was excellent as have been all your recipes I have tried so far.
That’s great to hear Gillian! I love making this soup with a side of breadsticks. Makes me feel like I’m eating at Olive Garden!
~Sarah