Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli

Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli is a really simple, hearty meal that is perfect for a cozy evening! Let your crock pot do all the work with this easy, healthy dinner.

 

Sometimes you need a super filling meal that will feed a crowd on a budget — That’s where Pasta Fagioli comes in! Hearty pasta, beans, and ground beef provide tons of wholesome substance while the tomatoey broth and nutritious vegetables balance it all out and add loads of flavor. Serve it up with some breadsticks and have an at-home Olive Garden night!

Want another great Olive Garden copycat? Try this Zuppa Toscana recipe!

Why you will love this slow cooker pasta fagioli recipe:

• SUPER EASY – This is perfect for beginner cooks or busy families! There are no unusual ingredients or complicated cooking methods. There’s about 10-15 minutes of prep involved, then you can let it cook in the slow cooker all day.
• HEALTHY & HEARTY – This is a very well-balanced meal with great doses of carbs, protein, and fiber while being decently low in fat and calories. It’s easy to make this gluten-free with Barilla gluten-free noodles. You can even make it vegan by using vegetable broth and Impossible plant-based ground beef or sausage.
• MEAL PREP FRIENDLY – This soup lasts in the fridge up to 5 days, making it ideal for leftover lunches, planning for company, or treating yourself to a lazy week of yummy dinners. While the cooked soup does not freeze well, I’ve included tips below to prep this as an easy dump-and-go freezer meal!

How do you make Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli Soup?

This is such an easy dish to throw together, all you need is a skillet and a slow cooker. Here’s a step-by-step guide for this delicious winter soup!

Brown the meat

Start by browning your ground beef in a skillet on the stove. Once it is browned, drain the beef and place it in the slow cooker.

TIP: Adding a tablespoon of water in with your meat as it cooks helps the grease separate from the ground beef! This makes draining even more effective, making sure your soup doesn’t come out oily.

Cook

Add your kidney beans, cannellini beans, undrained diced tomatoes, frozen vegetables, marinara sauce, and broth/stock into the slow cooker with the browned ground beef. Stir the mixture to combine, place the lid on, and let the Crock Pot cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Add in noodles

Once vegetables are tender and you are nearly ready to eat, stir in your elbow noodles. Allow them to cook for 10-15 minutes. When they are tender enough for your personal taste, spoon into bowls and serve immediately!

How to Serve Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli

We love this balanced meal topped with grated parmesan and sprinkled with fresh herbs as a simple, healthy dinner! To add more vegetables, serve with a simple salad and a crusty bread (maybe this Gouda and Jalapeno Bread if you like a touch of heat).

Storage and Reheating

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container up to 5 days.
• When ready to reheat, microwave in 30-second increments until cooked through. To reheat multiple portions at once, heat on medium low in a pot on the stove, stirring occasionally.

Can I freeze this?

Cooked pasta in soups can have a hard time keeping its texture, so I do not recommend freezing this soup after cooking. However, you can easily prep this as an amazing freezer meal! Simply brown your meat, then place all ingredients in a freezer bag EXCEPT your noodles and your broth. On a busy day when you need an easy dinner, simply dump the bag of frozen ingredients into the slow cooker, add your broth, cook for 6-8 hours, stir in your noodles for another 15 minutes, and serve.

Variations and Substitutions:

• Meat: this will also work well with ground turkey or Italian sausage. You can make this meat-free by using Impossible plant-based protein instead. Make sure to use vegetable broth as your liquid instead of beef broth if making this vegan/vegetarian.
• Beans: if you prefer not to use a mix, you can just use one or the other. While not traditional I have made this soup with chickpeas when I was in a pinch, and it was lovely. Great northern beans, Navy beans, or white beans can be substituted as well.
• Vegetables: to make this extra simple I used a bag of frozen vegetables, but of course you can use fresh if you have them on hand. Carrots and garlic could also be added if you like.
• Pasta: If you don’t have elbow macaroni, you can use cavatappi, fusilli, or ditalini pasta. Different shapes and sizes may require more or less cooking time, so test them out and serve when they reach your prefered consistency.
• Parmesan: One secret in soup making lies in the often-overlooked parmesan rind. If you have a bit in your fridge, add this into your slow cooker with your veggies, broth, and other ingredients. During cooking, this will soften and melt, adding an amazing flavor and silky texture. Simply spoon it out right before serving (it doesn’t usually dissolve completely and can be a bit gummy after cooking so long)