I love Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli Soup! This is the receipe I use to recreate it in my own kitchen. I add extra beans and meat - skip the pasta… and like it thick. It freezes well!

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
(I just buy the prepackaged ones in my produce area by BirdsEye)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced ( add lots more then this but I’m a garlic freak)
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 cups of water
1 pinch of Cayenne Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta

1. Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat. I season my beef with garlic and garlic salt while cooking.
2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour. If soup is too thick, add water while simmering.
4. About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.
5. Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve.

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