Pasta E Fagioli (Slow Cooker)

Olive Garden is one of my husband's favorite restaurants.  There is one not too far from us and we go there occasionally for a treat.  He almost always orders the Calamari and the Chicken Scampi.  I like their soup, salad and breadsticks.  Pasta E Fagioli is my favorite soup at Olive Garden.  I can't wait to try this copycat recipe and see if I can make it at home!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 onion, chopped small
3 carrots, chopped small
4 stalks celery, chopped small
2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes undrained ( I like Hunt's Petite Diced)
1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained
2 (14.5 oz.) cans low sodium beef stock
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)--I used Franks RedHot Cayenne Pepper sauce
1 (24 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Roasted Garlic)
8 ounces ditalini pasta
Directions
1. Brown beef in skillet.
2. Drain fat from beef and add to slow cooker with everything except pasta.
3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours*.
4. Cook pasta separately on stove, following package directions.
5. Add pasta to each bowl of soup before serving.
*I don't know if it's because my slow cooker is older, but I've found that it takes about an extra 2 hours of cooking time to get the carrots, onion and celery soft.

Makes 12-14 servings

Adapted from   Food.com

I like veggies chopped small when I make soup.

I've made this recipe 3 times now.  One of the times, I tripled this recipe and cooked it in my 22 qt. roaster oven. This gives you approximately 36 servings!  I made this huge batch for my freezer group, but this would also be great for entertaining a big group during the holidays.  Just add a fresh salad and some breadsticks and you have a whole meal.

The Results...
This Pasta E Fagioli did taste like Olive Garden's.  It was warm, hearty and very tasty!  Perfect for the chilly weather we've been having.

This recipe does make A LOT of soup!  It filled my 6 qt. slow cooker up to the very top.  I couldn't have fit another thing in there.  We happily ate this soup for two days.  But, next time I make this just for my family, I will freeze the leftovers for another meal.  Cook once and eat twice is another thing I like about this recipe.  It's a keeper!

Freezing soup is quite easy. After it has cooled, pour into a Gallon sized Ziploc bag.  Make sure it is completely sealed and lay flat on a baking sheet.  Label and put in freezer until solid.  Remove baking sheet and stack soup.  Then, just thaw and reheat.  Cook the pasta separately and add to the soup when it's hot and ready to serve.

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