Lazy Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli With Ground Beef

📃Shopping list:

To make this amazing soup you will need;

• lean ground beef
• Garbanzo beans - or cannellini beans or other white beans would work as well
• red kidney beans
• diced tomato cans -with all liquid
• tomato sauce
• onion -chopped
• carrot - chopped
• celery - chopped
• beef stock/broth - chicken broth would work as well
• salt
• black pepper - freshly ground if possible
• Italian seasoning
• garlic
• rosemary - fresh
• ditalini pasta
• parmesan rind - Optional, but it adds great flavor!

How to make it

This hearty soup recipe starts off with cooked lean ground beef. This can be accomplished in a large skillet on the stovetop. Just make sure to (carefully) drain all of the melted fat that will accumulate in the pan after cooking. 

To keep things easy, I prefer to use my slow cooker to cook the beef in large batches. Cooked ground beef can then be frozen in recipe-sized portions so that it is always on hand and ready to go.

Add ground brown beef, beans, diced tomatoes (with all liquid), tomato sauce, vegetables, and seasonings (other than rosemary) to the crock pot. Add stock/broth to the slow cooker and stir all to combine.  

Quick tip: If you can, add a couple of pieces of Parmesan rind to the mixture. Parmesan rind is available in cheese shops or sometimes at the deli of your grocery store. This step is optional but it adds incredible flavor to this delicious soup.  

Lay rosemary sprigs on top of other ingredients, cover, and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

30 minutes prior to serving, remove the rosemary and parmesan rind. Add uncooked ditalini pasta and stir to combine.  

I also love serving this soup alongside some easy slow cooker spaghetti squash or maple vanilla carrots. This is the perfect meal for busy weeknights.

Remove the pasta prior to storing

You can then add freshly cooked pasta when defrosting leftovers. This route will give you a great end product - but it does not qualify as "lazy"! 

Store with pasta

A lazier option is to store it as is with the noodles. This is doable as long as you recognize that, when reheated, it may not be exactly the same as when you stored it. The pasta may absorb extra liquid, giving it more of a stew-like texture (my favorite!)

If you want a more liquidy soup, you can add extra broth to it. This may change the flavor a bit. Is this bad? That's up to your personal taste.  

Stir pasta into each bowl individually

A third option is to cook the pasta al dente prior to adding it to your finished soup. You can then add pasta, just before serving, to each individual bowl. This method eliminates the need to worry about having to accommodate pasta in your leftovers. Fresh pasta can be added at encore servings

However you choose to store it, your slow cooker pasta e fagioli will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. In the freezer, it can last as long as 6 months.  Be sure to store it in an airtight container or zip-top bag.

Hints & hacks

1. Slow cooker pasta e fagioli with beef is a great crockpot recipe that calls for diced celery, carrots, and onion. To keep things extra lazy, you can buy prepackaged cut veggies or mirepoix. Both fresh and frozen work equally well.
2. Because I am always looking for shortcuts, I cut up celery, carrots, and onions in bulk and freeze them. This way, they are always on hand for any special recipe, like this one!
3. This healthy pasta e fagioli soup is perfect if your people will be eating at different times. After the cooking time, turn your slow cooker to warm (or have it automatically switch to warm). Everyone can have a hot and filling meal, no matter what time they are ready to eat.
4. If serving at different times, you may want to add already cooked ditalini pasta to each bowl of soup individually (see above)
5. I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner for my slow cooker recipes. Of course, this is an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
6. In the market for a new slow cooker? I love this one!