CrockPot Pasta Fagioli Recipe

I can't even count how many times we've made this soup! It is truly one of our family favorites. It makes a big batch so it's perfect for company, or you can freeze the leftovers if you'd like.


Day 305.

Happy Halloween! If you're looking for a hearty meal to fill the belly of your little ghost or goblin before they eat their weight in chocolate, you've come to the right place. This is some good soup.

It's based upon Olive Garden's Pasta E. Fagioli which, quite frankly, I've never had, but it sounded good. So I made it. In the crockpot.

This is a crowd-pleasing soup. There's nothing weird in it, and it has a fun kick that isn't spicy as much as it is noticeable.


The Ingredients.



  • 1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
  • 1/2 large red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups beef broth (check label for gluten!)
  • 1 jar (26-ounce) pasta sauce
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time (I used TJ's brown rice fusilli)


The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.

Brown the meat on the stovetop, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.

Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot.

Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Stir in your meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.

Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.

Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese if you have it.



The Verdict.

Delicious. Amazing. This is a very filling soup, and a great warm-me-up on a chilly evening. The ingredients are everything you'd put in a traditional minestrone, but that bit ofTobasco sauce changes the flavor dramatically.

Very yummy. One kid ate a bowl, and the other one fell asleep before dinner. I wasn't about to wake her.

I can't even count how many times we've made this soup! It is truly one of our family favorites. It makes a big batch so it's perfect for company, or you can freeze the leftovers if you'd like. It's based upon Olive Garden's Pasta E. Fagioli and this is for the crockpot slow cooker from ayearofslowcooking.com

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Pasta Fagioli Olive Garden Knock Off

Pasta Fagioli Olive Garden Knock Off

Yield: 10
Author: Stephanie O'Dea AYearofSlowCooking.com
Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 8 HourTotal time: 8 H & 45 M
Pasta Fagioli Olive Garden Crockpot Slow Cooker recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
  • 1/2 large red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups beef broth (check label for gluten!)
  • 1 jar (26-ounce) pasta sauce
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time

Instructions

  1. Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.
  2. Brown the meat on the stovetop, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.
  3. Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot.
  4. Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Stir in your meat.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.
  6. Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.
  7. Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese if you have it.


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Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at October 31, 2008

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What they say about this article

  1. Does this soup have a name?

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  2. lol, it does! I hit post too soon!
    xoxo
    steph

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  3. Anonymous10/31/2008

    So when IS your book coming out?

    Great soup! I'll put this on the list to make! I'm doing the chicken rice soup today and the taco one next week!

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  4. Hey! This isn't a fondue or a dip. *pout*

    What will I make for football Sunday now?

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  5. Debbi, in March. But you can preorder it on Amazon right now! ;-) lol

    Breezy, I know. I totally stink at following my own rules. I have stuff in the house for a milk chocolate marshmallow fondue, so I'll make that today and post tomorrow. You can still make it for football! and I bet you can use 3 Muskateer bars from Halloween!

    xxo
    steph

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  6. That looks incredible! Can't wait to try it!
    I bought the Rival Smart Pot yesterday after being without a crock since June. Haven't used it yet, but now I can't wait!

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  7. You are too cute on the interview. It's fun to get to really see and hear you after reading you everyday. I think a book about this year would be great, too.

    I'll need a trip to the store before I make this one, but I'll put it on the list. (We're going out of town next week and are trying to stay away from the store for a few days.)

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  8. this looks delicious! i am making it! i made something similiar with italian sausage. that would be good in this too!

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  9. I'm a new reader, I noticed your recieps say gluten free products. If this a personal preference or do you find it works better in the crockpot cooking? I have currently have a small slowcooker but have a programmable crockpot on my Christmas wishlist...is there one you recommend. I am able to go home a lunch and set it to cook, but would prefer not too on the cold and windy days.

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  10. I just made this soup the other day but instead of hamburger I used turkey kielbasa! It was so tasty!
    Thanks for trying out such great recipes!!

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  11. Another one that will hit my menu!!!

    I just watched your segment and the media thing is totally working for you - you look like a natural in front of the camera!

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  12. Anonymous10/31/2008

    I live in Oklahoma .I guess I need to start watching the news more. Congrats one being on T.V again. I bet you will get even more hits now. I am going to have to make this very soon.

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  13. I love Pasta Fagioli so will have to try this recipe.
    Early this week I followed your recipe for crockpot black beans in my 4 quart cooker. They were great. We had black beans and rice and crockpot chicken and vegetables. The next day more chicken, and, with more broth and tomatoes, for 2 more days chicken soup.
    I've been making applesause using 2-4 varieties of apples (always a couple of Granny Smith) and it is wonderful. Thank you for the recipe.
    Using the homemade applesause one can make a desert that we loved as kids. You need only the applesause and cinnamon graham crackers. Arrange a layer of crackers in a square or oblong baking dish, followed by a layer of applesause, followed by another layer of crackers and another layer of applesause, and again...until you reach the top which is a layer of applesause. Chill for a few hours until you can cut the "Applesause Cake" easily with a knife. Top with whipped cream. Yum/

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  14. Anonymous10/31/2008

    Stephanie! Do you even GET how cute you are?!
    OMG, it's wonderful! everybody, make sure you listen therough the car commercial ad---there's a LOT of audio/video there!
    I can't believe we get to witness you getting famous right in front of us!

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  15. Anonymous10/31/2008

    And wouldn't you know it...I live right here in Oklahoma City and because of Halloween Festivities...I MISSSED IT!!! Bummer.

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  16. LOVE your site...so much that I Boo'ed you :) see my site for details :)
    savvysuzie.blogspot.com

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  17. Love Olive Garden soups. You just can't go wrong making soup in a crock pot... everything turns out soooo good! Congrats on being on the news! Nice article.

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  18. How long can I leave the pasta in the crockpot at the end?

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  19. Who knew that crockpotting could lead to such fame. This makes me REALLY want to stick to my New Years resolution. So do you have some huge celebration planned for when you finally reach the year mark?

    My hubby and I are gonna love this soup!

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  20. I'll be sure to try this. I'm always looking for new recipes and my husband and I just love this soup at Olive Garden. Yum!

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  21. Anonymous10/31/2008

    i was expecting to see a fondue recipe, but i'm glad i see the soup. it looks delicious!!!

    i wish i was going trick or treating. i hope you and your kids have a great time! i can't wait to see what kind of stuff you come up with for the loads of extra halloween candy. maybe something like... "20 types of candy fondue" in the crockpot? haha

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  22. Oh, that looks really good! I was just complaining b/c I have a LOT of ground beef left from our beef from last season. I'm always looking for a good, tasty way to use ground beef! Thanks so much! Karen

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  23. nice news article! way to go!

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  24. I just watched your news clip...you have the most beautiful family! I am so sad to see the year coming closer to the end. Visiting your blog has become part of my daily routine! This soup looks great and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what kind of Thanksgiving meal you're going to come up with in the crockpot!

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  25. Oooo, sounds great! Can't wait to try this.

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  26. We looooooove Olive Garden's pasta fagioli soup, so I am definitely gonna make this! Thanks!

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  27. OH THANK YOU STEF!!!!!

    The soup I've been waiting for!!!

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  28. I am SO GLAD I found your blog! I love using my crock pot, and am always looking for good new recipes. I love that you actually make them before you post them, too! I will be coming back often!

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  29. I made this soup tongight. Wow! Everyone loved it! Definitely a keeper. I love your blog and will be sad when you aren't crockpotting every day.

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  30. So does the 1 T of Tabasco give it a hotness? I would think it would but you said one of your kids ate it so maybe not. I'm afraid of hot and spicy so I'd love to know before I make it. Also, do you think it would matter if I used ground turkey instead of the hamb? Your recipes are incredible!!! Every one you have rated high, we have loved!!

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  31. Anonymous10/31/2008

    You have a great blog. i found you some how when i was looking for things on our sons birth defect esophageal atresia. I iwish you all the best.

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  32. This is one of my favorite recipes, but I have never tried it in the crockpot....I can't wait to try it in there!

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  33. Anonymous11/01/2008

    this looks so-ooo good. Will have to try this one next. Thanks Steph

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  34. Mmmm, this sounds great--I'm such a soup fan.
    BTW, I did the rotisserie style chicken & then stock, and both turned out GREAT. I love your blog...thank you!

    My question is, do you think this would freeze well? I'm trying to fix 1-2 day meals and then freeze the rest for after the baby comes in a couple of weeks :)

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  35. hi Paige,
    it would freeze well, but I wouldn't add the pasta until the day you thaw and re-heat. The pasta will swell and get squishy if you freeze and re-heat.

    xox
    steph

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  36. Anonymous11/01/2008

    Thanks again, Stephanie for sharing your recipe on The Lil' Peanut Patch!

    I watched your news clip and absolutely loved it! I too, don't know what i am going to do when you aren't posting recipes everyday!!!

    Oh, and I made your Buffalo Chicken Lasagna the other night and it was a huge hit in our house! :)

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  37. Anonymous11/01/2008

    Looks good, but take it from an Italian, Pasta Fagioli is a vegetarian soup. This (and Olive Garden's version) is more like Italian "Chili" than Pasta Fagioli.

    I posted my recipe for authentic Pasta Fagioli here: http://kitchenchemist.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/food-porn/#more-36

    Just scroll down, it's the last part of the entry.

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  38. Anonymous11/01/2008

    aaaagh, I don't have beef broth, I do have chicken broth...it smells soooo good.

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  39. Anonymous11/02/2008

    I didn't use broth at all, and the soup was delicious, despite what real Italians think. I have to say it was better than Olive Garden and looked better than what I saw in some other blogs...

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  40. I made this on Halloween night and it was delicious. Of course, I tweaked it to what was in our house at the time and left out celery ('cause my husband doesn't like it) and it was so good. Thanks for all the easy fun recipes that take the work out of cooking. It was great for a colder evening of trick-or-treating.

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  41. Anonymous11/02/2008

    I am making this recipe today, Sunday, and it is looking great. However, 1/2 cup pasta as written in your recipe looks pretty skimpy in my crockpot. Does your recipe really call for 1/2 cup of pasta?

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  42. Hi Sister!

    I know! The pasta swells considerably after about an hour, and doesn't look skimpy in the bowl once it's cooked. I promise. :-)
    xox
    steph

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  43. Excellent! I made a vegetarian version with soy burger crumbles and fake beef broth. It turned out very yummy. Thanks!

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  44. Anonymous11/02/2008

    I made this soup tonight and it is excellent. I added some Italian sausage that I browned with the ground beef. We had the neighbors over and have enough for leftovers too.

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  45. I made this on Halloween.
    http://sunflowermama.blogspot.com/2008/10/happy-all-hallows-eve.html
    However, I'm pregnant, wanted it that night and didn't read the recipe until 4pm. So I cheated and used the stove. VERY good!! Also, if you accidently use an entire bag of rice noodles, (I'm gluten free too.) it becomes a nice casserole for next days' lunch. ;)
    THANK YOU for all the amazing crock-pot recipes!

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  46. Anonymous11/03/2008

    We had this last night and it was soooo yummy!! it filled my 5 qt almost to the top, so i decided to invite my parents over for dinner, knowing there would be NO way to eat it all!! It was enjoyed by all!! I was a bit skeptical about that much Tabasco, (im a mild salsa type girl) but it was not too much. I sent some with my husband for work today and he said "oh I don't need that much - it is VERY filling" Definately gonna keep this recipe :)

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  47. Anonymous11/03/2008

    I have this cooking at home today! I didn't have any ground beef so I used some leftover shredded chicken and Italian Sausage... YUM - can't wait to get home to this meal tonight!

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  48. Anonymous11/03/2008

    My verdict, very good, the 2yr didn't eat it like I thought he would, he ate maybe 5 beans and called it quits. I also cooked on stove for almost 2 hours to soften the veggies. I was out of onions, so when browning ground beef I used Liptons onion soup packet, then drained off the fat, the meat still had good flavor. I am trying to control salt so I know that's very salty and wasn't worried about losing some of the soup mix. I was also out of beef broth and didn't use chicken broth either and was very tasty. Hubby brings to work in his thermos..I did up the amount of water and was perfect..Stephanie, you rock, will miss your daily entries but I know all good things must come to an end, I have already pre-purchased your book, I really need help in organization (more than cooking);)

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  49. Anonymous11/03/2008

    Hi Stephanie,

    I made the soup this week-end and it was absolutely fabu!! Even better the next day. Thanks for another great recipe.

    Ruth

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  50. Anonymous11/03/2008

    I found this site through another one, and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!! We have already pulled out a package of pork ribs so we can make the McCain ribs tomorrow for dinner, and tonight, we had this soup. WOW! Great soup!

    Both of us are huge Italian fans, but I have not been able to find a good Minestrone soup yet. This one was perfect. We don't have any Tabasco sauce, so we had to leave that out (I will definitely put it in next time - I would love just a little kick) but other than that, made it as listed. Also next time, we're going to get some French Bread so we can dip that in the soup as we eat. YUM!

    Thanks for the great recipes, and all of the info. I am in love with your site, and have already added it to my blogroll on my Nonfiction Book Review site. When your book comes out, I shall have to review it on my site. ;-)

    Hava
    http://nonfictionlover.today.com

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  51. I usually catch the replay of our Oklahoma City news on a cable channel, so I saw you a few times. Great segment!

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  52. Anonymous11/05/2008

    Lisa F.--

    Stephanie cooks gluten-free because someone in her family can't eat gluten... and she labels the recipes & ingredients so that other people who need gluten-free recipes can use her as a resource.

    Those who don't need to cook gluten-free just disregard the g-f warnings. ;)

    Hope that helps!

    -----
    Hampton--
    I don't think kitchenchemist was insinuating that this isn't yummy. Just that it's not authentic. ;) But hey, I'm all about the yummy, not the authenticity, so I don't mind at all!

    I made this last night. It is fabulous. I ate a cup and a half when the vegetables were still a bit crunchy because I just couldn't wait. (And besides, I needed to make room for the pasta.)

    I put in well over a tablespoon of Tabasco and had no trouble with the spice, but I like things fairly spicy.

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  53. Anonymous11/05/2008

    I made this last night and it is so fabulous! My husband even loved it and he hates onions. It has a great flavor and is very comforting. We put a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese on top (not very Italian) and it made it that much more rich. Thanks!

    -Hayley

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  54. Anonymous11/06/2008

    We made this last night and WOW! Delicious! I'm eating leftovers as I type. :) Thanks for all the great recipes! :)

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  55. yum, it was perfect (sans meat for us)!

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  56. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. It was delicious. I did make one change..instead of 1/2 cup dry pasta, I added one package of spinach and cheese tortellini. That put it over the top!!!!! Thanks again

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  57. this was delicious! very easy to make!

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  58. Made this yesterday and just had some for lunch! I don't like typical veggie soup but I loved this! And so did 3 out of 4 kiddos!

    Thanks again!

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  59. That sounds really yummy, I'll have to try it! Thanks!

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  60. Anonymous11/21/2008

    Made this and it was FANTASTIC! I had leftover roast I used instead of the ground beef. The tabasco adds a nice spice to the soup. My hubby and I fought over who got the last bowl. LOL. Thanks for another great recipe

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  61. Anonymous12/14/2008

    I made this last night. Though it may be blasphemous, I opted not to use the crockpot. I only needed it to take a couple of hours and, since I needed to use the stove to brown the meat anyway, I stuck with it.

    I made a half batch and a couple alterations (e.g., used cheese tortellini) based on what was in my pantry. It was delicious! I've never had the Olive Garden version but, as long as this was based on their recipe, I went with the theme. I made an Olive Garden style salad to go along with the soup. My hubby did ask why I didn't make the yummy garlic breadsticks too :)

    This was the BEST healthy soup (as well as the best tomato-based soup) I've ever had!

    Thanks a bunch! I look forward to my Crockpot Lady emails every night.

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  62. Anonymous1/27/2009

    This was delish! I liked the slight kick offered by the tobasco sauce. It does make it special. I'm sure it would be great without it (for those who don't like the extra kick.) I was surprised to see an Italian dish with no garlic. I was too chicken to mess with Steph's perfection. If anyone adds garlic, let us know how it was. Thanks for a great recipe, Steph!

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  63. I made this.

    I love you.

    So does my husband.

    And our kid.

    The dog is mad. (Dogs can't have onions.)

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  64. I blogged it today. Check here if you like : your soup rocks, Stephanie!

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  65. Anonymous4/10/2009

    I am making this for the SECOND time in 2 weeks-we love it! I dont like beef in my soup so I dont use any meat. And I do a little over 1 full cup of pasta to mine, so its makes it a little less soupy, but hubby and I love it that way-YUM YUM!!!
    ~Anna

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  66. I absolutely love what you are doing! I have tried a number of your recipes and only stumbled upon your blog within the last month. I am also ADDICTED to my crockpot. I tried this recipe last night and it's delicious. I toasted a baguette, rubbed some garlic on it and sprinkled with parmeasan cheese, put back in the oven and had that with my soup. The verdict is yummy!!

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  67. Yummie yummie yummie. I made this for Soup's On. I have a pot of soup on the stove (read: crock plugged in!) and people drop by. It's an open house for soup. It got high marks and was so very yummie. This particular Soup's On was dubbed 'tomatopalooza' because I couldn't choose which soup to make so I made four. The menu included: Pasta Fagioli, Pizza, Meatball Ministrone, & Pot Luck Pasta soups. Yum! Thank you for keeping your recipies posted... I hope/pray they never disappear! :)

    Karen

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  68. That's my kind of meal when I am alone. That and a glass of wine and a chick movie! Looks perfect!

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  69. This is absolutely fantastic-- pure deliciousness. There's a good amount of prep work for a beginner, but come home to this recipie on a cold wet day and it will make your soul glow. Thanks Stephanie!

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  70. This is the best soup ever. My husband got quite angry when I called it Olive Garden soup, and now refers to it as "Ronica Garden" soup. :) (I told him it was yours, but he still gives me the credit. Smart man!) The first time I made it, he ate 3 bowls before I shooed him away from the crock.

    I'm going to try a vegetarian version, because I have 25 students to cook for soon, and some are veg. I'm experimenting with what I have in the house today to see if it is still as good. (I'll use chicken broth, but I'm the guinea pig, so it's OK.) I'll let you know how it comes out. Thanks so much for this one! It's a HUGE hit at our house! (My 2 year old loves it, too!)

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  71. It felt so good to serve this soup to my family! My 13 mos old daughter (who usually has a hard time chewing anything harder than a pea) LOVED this soup! We had fresh broccoli and kale so I added that. It just added to the healthy quotient. My hubby added chopped raw onions, & hot chili sauce for a more "grown up" version, and ate two heaping bowls!
    Another hit recipe. Thanks so much! Makes delicious leftovers too :)

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  72. I made this last week and it was FANTASTIC! Mine turned out really spicy but that was ok with me. My husband and I fought over the leftovers. YUM!

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  73. THis was so, so great. I have a 2 year old who does not do spicy, so I used half the Tabasco, and that was perfect for him. We also used cheese tortellini instead of dried pasta-- please do that as well! Out of this world. Thanks!

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  74. I made this tonight! OMG DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I made 2 changes: I didn't have kidney beans so I used two cans of white beans. Also, I don't buy jarred pasta sauce so I used 1 can of tomato sauce and added extra herbs/spices.

    And you're right.. the Tabasco totally changes the flavor! AMAZING!

    Thank you!!

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  75. Made this tonight (in the new, super-awesome 6qt. crock I got for Christmas to replace my 4qt) and YUM! It was every bit as amazing as you said it would be! Makes a ton, so I boiled the pasta separately - going to freeze some of the leftovers, and can add in pasta later. One change I made was that I used ground turkey breast, and I seasoned that with half the spices when I was browning it. Gave it nice flavor. Ate this with ceaesar salad and garlic bread, and we were very happy!

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  76. I'm eagerly awaiting my Fagioli soup to finish cooking so I can try it out. I will be cooking my noodles separately & adding to individual bowls as I have one daughter who is not just GF but is Rice Free as well (nothing like a GF diet for a child also allergic to rice).

    Ty for this recipe & for your entire blog.

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  77. The veg version didn't really work--too acidic. Would have to tinker. I'm keeping it as is. Making it again today. Thanks!

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  78. We love, love, love this soup! Its a regular at our house. My kids eat two bowls each! Thanks so much for your blog.

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  79. Love this! I used a package of cheese tortellini and did only a half hour on high after I added it. Makes it even heartier :)

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  80. Anonymous11/01/2010

    I made this and I thought it turned out a little blah. I used Frank's hot sauce instead of actual tabasco, added garlic and extra spices, but ended up having to add a lot of salt to it once it was dished out (and I usually don't like a lot of salt). I'm thinking that maybe using chicken Italian sausage would give it a bit more flavor than the ground beef. It was good overall and made a lot! The half-cup of pasta worked perfectly. :)

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  81. I made this vegetarian (no meat and used veggie broth. also threw in some diced turnips because they were hanging around the fridge) and it was terrific. Definitely comfort food--warm and filling. Next time I will dial back on the tomato sauce, as I found it a bit too tomato-y, and maybe add a little more pasta. Delicious!

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  82. I made this for my boyfriend and I last night and it was really good! I added a little bit more than 1/2 a cup of dry pasta (closer to one cup) and it was more than enough for us to have last night with leftovers. The Tabasco definitely adds a nice kick to the flavor of the dish. We are thinking of getting a couple of bread bowls from the grocery store and adding the soup into those for the leftovers! Yum! I definitely recommend this recipe!

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  83. I'm a huge fan of the Olive Garden version so this one I had to make. It got rave reviews from my husband. He always has a suggestion for how to improve a dish (he does most of the cooking in our house) but not on this one! Instead of ground beef, I used buffalo meat (you can't tell the difference). So yummy! Thank you!

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  84. I have already made this one twice. The first time there were no leftovers because my son had 2 friends over and they finished the pot. The second time it was the 3 of us and we had the leftovers for lunch. For once all the leftovers of something was eaten! Have Sun-dried Tomato and Feta roast in the crock pot now.

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  85. Anonymous3/26/2011

    Found your site about a year ago and just saw this recipe today! How is that even possible, since OG's Pasta y Fagioli soup is my favorite soup of all time and I have been denied it for my whole year of GF-dom!?! I am SO excited -- that is definitely on the menu for this week!

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  86. Was just looking over your list of most popular recipes and this one caught my eye. I love easy healthy recipes for the slow cooker. Can't wait to give this one a try.

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  87. I made this for the first time over the weekend and it was AWESOME! My boyfriend loved it. I will be happily eating it for the majority of this week. Tasty and healthy!

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  88. Lisa in CO11/05/2011

    I still go through you index of recipes and try ones that i didn't make back when you posted them, lol. Anyway, Wed. was a snow day for my kids, so this was the perfect meal. My substitutions: ground turkey browned with garlic, some chopped garlic thrown in the crock (i'm Italian...can't not cook with garlic, lol), can of garbanzos beans instead of kidney beans and some chopped Japanese eggplant (last of the garden bounty). also used Ditalini (small tubular pasta).

    Long story short, fantastic recipe. my daughter ate 2 bowls the 1st night and it's been the perfect antidote to cold, snowy weather.

    Hope all is well
    Lisa

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  89. Love, love, love this! I used crushed red pepper flakes in place of the tabasco, though, as I don't like tabasco (sorry!) I also had pre-cooked pasta in the fridge, so I poured the finished soup over pasta in individual bowls. The pasta wasn't as flavorful, I'm sure, but it wasn't soggy, either. Since we ate in shifts, I think this way worked better for us.

    Thanks for all of your great recipes!!!

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  90. Ashley1/08/2012

    I made this soup tonight and thought it was really delicious!

    I'm on Weight Watchers so knowing serving sizes for the things I cook is really important to me. I wanted to share this information with other WWers who might make this meal...

    I followed this recipe to the letter (using white penne pasta) and it made nearly exactly 14 cups of soup (just a tad more than 14, actually). I decided to divide that into 7 2-cup servings.

    Using the recipe builder (and omitting the 0-point ingredients as necessary), this recipe comes out to 9 PointsPlus per 2-cup serving (which is a very hearty serving).

    A 1.5-cup serving would be 7 PP, and a 1-cup serving would be 4 PP.

    I hope others will find this information helpful. Thanks for the recipe!

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  91. I enjoyed this, but was the only one out of five in my family that could eat it because it was too spicy. I didn't realize the Tabasco would add as much kick as it did. So if your family doesn't do spice well, then reduce the Tabasco!!

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  92. Holy Cow! Best soup ever! I used ground turkey in place of the beef and Williams-Sonoma Vegetable Pasta Sauce. Used little Quinoa shells for the pasta. Grated some parmesan on top and VOILA! Better than Olive Garden! Thanks so much for this recipe! It's a keeper!
    Lisa

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  93. Made this soup recently with just a couple of minor modifications. Figured out the WW Points Plus details too. It's a keeper in my book too!! I've included it on my blog with a link back to here. Thanks for all the slow cooking inspiration.

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  94. I am planning to make this tonight for dinner, but I realized I didn't buy white beans when I went grocery shopping. Would 2 cans of kidney beans work okay? Or, could I add black beans? Or should I just break down and drive to the store and get the white beans?

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  95. Hi Kristin, I'd personally use the kidney beans. The flavor is awfully similar, and the size of the beans are the same.
    enjoy!!

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  96. Thanks for inspiring me....it is pouring rain and low 40s here so I wasn't running out, I used the recipe you posted but had make a few substitutions....one can of diced tomatoes & one can of rotel tomatoes and chilis, one can of white beans and one can of black beans (no kidney in the pantry...darn) and I had 1lb of ground beef and 3 Ital sausages so I removed casing and added those to the beef. It smells so good and will be awesome after a cold and wet HS football game tonight!

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  97. Oh, I almost forgot, since I making for when we return late from a football game....I cooked 1 C dry of a small shape pasta, rinsed with cold water and coated well with olive oil...in the refrigerator to just stir in right before serving so I don't have to wait 30 mins when getting in to serve.

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  98. Not quite processed food free. Would this work the same if you used dry beans?

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  99. Hi unknown, sure thing. Bring a cup of each kind of beans to a boil on the stovetop for 10 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour.
    Drain, then put them into the slow cooker with the other ingredients. Hope this helps, Steph

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  100. Perfect, I am for sure going to make this for our group before we go out trick or treating. Thanks for the recipe!

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  101. Anonymous5/02/2017

    I've used your recipes for years and they're always favorites of my family. This one probably takes the Cake. The only thing we like about Olive Garden is their soups and this is a killer mockup.

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  102. Anonymous10/24/2017

    I made this last Halloween, everyone had a bowl before we went out trick or treating, and it was definitely a hit! Will probably do it again this year. Filling and yummy, but not too heavy.

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