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Creamy Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup

creamy copycat olive garden pasta e fagioli soup - featured image
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A quick and easy 30-minute creamy soup featuring cannellini beans, ditalini pasta, and a secret parmesan rind for deep umami flavor, mimicking the beloved restaurant classic.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 carrot, diced small
  • 1 stalk celery, diced small
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup ditalini pasta (or small shells/macaroni)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • 1 parmesan cheese rind
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley or grated parmesan for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onions, carrots, and celery; cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
  2. Add minced garlic and dried oregano; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in crushed tomatoes and broth, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the parmesan rind and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low.
  4. Add rinsed cannellini beans and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Optionally mash half the beans against the pot side to thicken the soup.
  5. While soup simmers, cook ditalini pasta in a separate pot of salted water until al dente (8-9 minutes). Drain well.
  6. Stir cooked pasta into the soup pot. Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in heavy cream. Heat through for 2 minutes without boiling.
  7. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove parmesan rind if used.
  8. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley or extra parmesan.

Notes

Cook pasta separately to prevent it from absorbing all the broth and becoming mushy. Store soup and pasta separately in the fridge. Reheat gently with added broth or water. The parmesan rind adds significant umami depth; fish it out before serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: Olive Garden copycat, pasta e fagioli, creamy bean soup, comfort food, quick dinner, Italian soup, cannellini bean soup

Find it online: https://sizzlesprout.com/creamy-copycat-olive-garden-pasta-e-fagioli-soup-easy-30-min-recipe/