Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup

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Slow cooker Pasta e Fagioli soup is a rich and hearty Italian soup loaded with pasta, vegetables, beans, and lean ground beef. It’s hearty, comforting, and oh so delicious!

Italy knows just the way to my heart! If you love a good Italian soup, try this creamy  Zuppa Toscana, this chicken gnocchi, or this classic Italian wedding soup.

A crockpot of pasta e fagioli with a wooden spoon.

A Reader’s Review

This is a great simple recipe for a tasty, filling meal! My husband also really enjoyed it… Going to be a regular at our house. Thanks for this winner!!!
-Keriema

Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli

Today I am sharing one of my favorite soups: Pasta e Fagioli. This is comfort food at its finest! It’s a super hearty, meaty, thick Italian soup loaded with veggies, meat, and beans. But that’s not even the best part! The best of all is that this soup is made in a slow cooker. That means little to no prep time and lots of flavors. This soup simmers low and slow for 8 hours! Let the slow cooker do all the work while you relax and enjoy the aroma in your home.

While your soup is cooking all day, then you have some time to make a few sides to go with it. I love adding a side salad and some breadsticks to dip into this soup. You can also make those recipes ahead of time! Then, when the soup is finished, all you have to do is get it all out, set the table, and dig in! It’s a great meal that your entire family will enjoy.

Ingredients You Need to Make Pasta e Fagioli

This is a thick, rich and hearty soup that is loved by all. So many ingredients but so much flavor in all of them! You will love the combination of vegetables, beans, and pasta. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

  • Extra virgin olive oil: This adds a hint of seasoning and liquid in the mix.
  • Ground beef: When I buy ground beef I try and get it as lean as possible.
  • Carrots: The should be freshly peeled and sliced. Canned carrots are little too mushy when simmering them for a long period of time.
  • Celery stalks: Slice and dice them to your preference.
  • Onion: I like to dice these up a little smaller for kids.
  • Crushed tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are best. Some cans are flavored which adds more flavor so get the kind that you prefer.
  • Beef broth: This liquid base adds in a delicious flavor.
  • Bay leaves: This brings in a strong taste that is so familiar in soups.
  • Oregano: The oregano brings more aromatic seasoning to the soup.
  • Dried basil: Dried basil has a slight pepper taste but is perfectly strong and sweet.
  • Dried thyme: Thyme is a subtle flavor but it is enough for this soup.
  • Salt and pepper: Add this to taste (I added 1 tsp salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper)
  • Cannelloni beans and red kidney beans: Make sure that these have been drained and rinsed before adding
  • Ditalini pasta: This uncooked pasta will be added in at the end.

How to Make Pasta e Fagioli

This soup takes just a bit of prep time and is super easy to throw together. Serve it with a hot, fresh perfect soft, buttery roll for a great dinner meal!

  1. Brown the ground beef: Add olive oil to a large skillet and add in ground beef. Cook until browned and no longer pink.
  2. Combine all ingredients: Place the beef in a slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except for the beans and pasta.
  3. Cook on low: Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before serving stir in beans and pasta.
  4. Season: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaves before serving.
  5. Serve: Serve immediately while hot.
3 pictures showing ingredients being added into a crockpot

Is Pasta e Fagioli a Main Dish or a Side Dish?

This is a common question, and there is no correct answer! This dish is filling enough and has your meats and veggies all in one so you can definitely serve it as a main dish! Add in a Caprese salad and some breadsticks and it can be a meal. Or, you can serve it as an appetizer to the main course! Either way, it’s going to fill you up!

A slow cooker filled with pasta e fagioli all cooked.

What’s the Difference Between Minestrone Soup and Pasta e Fagioli?

These two soups are often confused with one another! They are both delicious but here are the differences between the two:

  • Consistency: The main difference between minestrone soup and pasta e fagioli soup is the meat and the thickness. Minestrone leaves our ground beef and has a thinner consistency.
  • Vegetables: They each have vegetables but pasta e fagioli has a few more and a different variety.

How to Store Leftovers

This soup makes fantastic leftovers! It tastes just as good, if not better, the next day!

  • In the Refrigerator: Place the soup in an airtight container and put it in your fridge. It will last 3-4 days.
  • To Reheat: When you are ready to eat it again then put the soup in a medium sized pot and cook it on medium-high heat on your stove. It will take 5-10 minutes until it’s heated through.
A bowl of pasta e fagioli with a silver spoon.

Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup

4.97 from 26 votes
Slow cooker Pasta e Fagioli soup is a rich and hearty Italian soup loaded with pasta, vegetables, beans, and lean ground beef. It's hearty, comforting, and oh so delicious!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 10 minutes
Author Alyssa Rivers
Servings: 10 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 whole carrots diced
  • 4 celery stalks diced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 (28 ounce can) crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (14.5 ounce can) beef broth
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste I added 1 tsp salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 (15 ounce can) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 ounce can) red kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup ditalini pasta uncooked

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil to a large skillet and add in ground beef. Cook until browned and no longer pink.
  • Place the beef in a slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except for the beans and pasta.
  • Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before serving stir in beans and pasta.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaves before serving.
  • Serve immediately while hot.

Video

Notes

Updated on January 27, 2022  
Original Post on October 23, 2015

Nutrition

Serves: 10

Serving1cupCalories177kcal (9%)Carbohydrates21g (7%)Protein14g (28%)Fat5g (8%)Saturated Fat1g (5%)Cholesterol28mg (9%)Sodium146mg (6%)Potassium486mg (14%)Fiber3g (12%)Sugar5g (6%)Vitamin A2216IU (44%)Vitamin C9mg (11%)Calcium47mg (5%)Iron3mg (17%)

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian, Italian American
Keyword pasta e fagiioli, pasta e fagioli soup
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic

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Alyssa Rivers

I am Alyssa and the blogger behind The Recipe Critic. I started my blog in June of 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family.

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  1. 5 stars
    Made this a couple days ago, added garlic, more seasonings, actually cooked up the meat and some garlic in a little bit of Malbec. For reheating, I made some beef broth and reheated it like that so it’s not so thick .. next time I will make pasta fresh for each bowl instead of putting it all in at once. Other than that, it was delicious! Some fresh sourdough bread on the side.. yum

  2. 5 stars
    This soup is delicious and easy. I left out the kidney beans because I don’t care for them and only used a half cup of ditalini because that’s all I had in the house, and it was still really great. I’m now going to try other soup recipes from this site. Highly recommend.

    1. Yes! I would not store it with the noodles, though. Cook those separately and add them to the soup just before serving so that they don’t get mushy in the freezer. Just store the cooked soup in an airtight container in your freezer for 2-3 months. When you are ready to eat it, let it thaw in your fridge overnight and then reheat it on the stove or you can place it in a crockpot to reheat.

    1. Yes! Just put the leftovers in an airtight container and label them with the date. They should last a couple of months! Let it thaw in your fridge overnight and then you can quickly warm them up on the stove the next day.

  3. Can I put all ingredients in crock pot the night before- not the beans and pasta- store in fridge and turn it on the next morning, adding pasta and beans 1/2 hrs before done cooking?

  4. 5 stars
    This was a wonderful recipe, fast, easy, and the best soup. I added a bit more ground beef (1/4 lb) & noodles (1/2 cup) as well as a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with chili’s. I added Tabasco because I like the heat as well. I held off the Bay Leaf, and because I’m in Louisiana I used Louisiana Cajun Seasoning before cooking and when served. I also grated Parmesan cheese when served, like they always did at the Olive Garden. This was a WONDERFUL RECIPE, Thank You Alyssa!!!

  5. I am looking forward to trying this recipe tomorrow. Just wondering, in the last 30 mins when you add the beans and pasta, do you put the slow cooker on high or low?

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