Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli

This soup is more stew like than soup. Part of my family are not fans of soups for dinner. It is a texture issue. They want to chew their meal. So, this is a bit of a compromise. This hearty “soup” is a cousin to minestrone. Thicker than minestrone and with lots of beans and pasta this is a warming hearty meal.

Verdict: This makes HUGE vat of soup. We had enough leftover for 4-5 lunch servings after having 4-5 dinner servings. It was nice to have the leftovers for few days of lunches. You may wish to halve the recipe for smaller families or appetites.

I served this with a basil foccacia as a dipping side.

Pasta e' fagioli

  • Servings: 8-10 large
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 whole carrots, diced
  • 4 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste I added 1 tsp salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 (15 oz) cans beans, drained and rinsed – your choice (navy beans, cannellini, kidney, etc…)
  • 1 cup ditalini pasta uncooked
  • pesto and Parmesan for toppings, as desired

Directions:

  1. Add olive oil to a large skillet and add in ground beef. Cook until browned.
  2. Place the beef in a slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except for the beans and pasta.
  3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving stir in beans and pasta.
  4. Cook pasta to your taste. We like it a bit more done so ours was closer to 1 hour in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaves before serving.
  5. Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and a few grates of Parmesan cheese as desired.

7 Comments Add yours

  1. Slow cooker // 5 mph

    On Monday, November 23, 2020, What’s for Dinner Moms? wrote:

    > koolaidmoms posted: ” This soup is more stew like than soup. Part of my > family are not fans of soups for dinner. It is a texture issue. They want > to chew their meal. So, this is a bit of a compromise. This hearty “soup” > is a cousin to minestrone. Thicker than minestrone a” >

    Liked by 3 people

    1. koolaidmoms says:

      Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Sounds like a meal-in-a-bowl. 🌿🍃🌱🍅

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Carol anne says:

    Oh my! This sounds so yummy! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I have failed at many crock pot soups, but this one looks delicious and easy!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. koolaidmoms says:

      Thanks! Are your soups overcooked? I think that is the biggest mistake most people make is thinking the soup can cook for hours at such a low heat but in all honesty meat gets stringy and dry or vegetables turn to mush. Hope this works for you!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I think you are right. I’ll have to pay closer attention when cooking them. Thanks!

        Liked by 1 person

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