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    Home » Side Dishes

    Published: Jan 15, 2021 · Modified: Apr 11, 2022 · By Susan

    Lazy Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli

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    a bowl of pasta fagioli with a label
    Jump to Recipe

    Slow cooker pasta e fagioli is an easy, delicious, and satisfying soup filled with ground beef, pasta, and beans. This thick and flavorful dish is a full meal in a bowl!

    One round white bowl with two handles on a black table filled with soup, pasta, tomatoes and beans

    I have never seen one dish spelled so many different ways. If you Google it, you will find: pasta fagioli, pasta e fagioli, pasta fazool, pasta fasul, pasta fasule, pasta fajule and more.  

    There are also multiple online tutorials on how to pronounce it. Everything from the authentic Italian to some very Americanized versions.  

    Luckily no matter how you say it or spell it, this pasta fagioli soup is delicious! Literally translated, it means pasta and beans. And that alone is enough information to tell you this thick Italian soup is hearty, filling, warm and wonderful!!!  A favorite comfort food.

    Shopping list:

    Jump to recipe card for exact details
    a photo of all pasta e fagioli ingredients with labels in a slow cooker ready to cook

    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 slow cooker Pasta Fagioli

    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 crock pot. Add stock/broth to slow cooker and stir all to combine.  

    Close up of raw ingredients in slow cooker. Two fresh rosemary sprigs laying on top

    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 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.  

    All ingredients in slow cooker after cooking but before stiring

    Serving suggestions

    A large, hot bowl of slow cooker pasta e fagioli soup is hearty enough to be a great meal on its own. To balance it out, a crisp garden side salad adds a great crunch as does some toasted French bread. A perfect family dinner made with minimal effort.

    Freshly grate some parmesan cheese on top for the perfect finish to this hearty meal. 

    Close up side view of pasta e fagioli soup in a square white bowl with a dark spoon

    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.

    How to store leftover soup with pasta

    Storing soup with pasta can sometimes be tricky. Pasta that cooks right in the soup, as this does, will absorb extra liquid as it sits. This can make the pasta mushy and possibly even cause it to break up.

    This can happen regardless of whether you are storing the soup in the fridge or freezer.  So, the big question is can you store leftovers of this dish? And the answer is: Yes! You have three options:

    Three bowl of pasta e fagioli in round white bowls on a black surface from the top down

    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!)

    Close up of cooked pasta e fagioli soup

    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.

    Close up of a bowl of pasta e fagioli with grated parmesan cheese on top in a white, round bowl

    Hints & hacks

    1. Slow cooker pasta e fagioli 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 onion 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!

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases and affiliate links.

    Close up side view of pasta e fagioli soup in a square white bowl with a dark spoon

    Lazy Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli Recipe

    Delicious warm and satisfying soup filled with ground beef, pasta and beans. This thick and flavorful soup is a full meal in a bowl!
    4.80 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 364kcal
    Author: The Lazy slow cooker
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 6 quart or larger slow cooker
    • measuring cups and spoons
    • slow cooker liner (optional)

    Ingredients

    • 1½ lbs browned ground beef
    • 19 oz can red kidney beans, drained
    • 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
    • 2 cups chopped mirepoix or one small onion, two carrots and 2 large celery stalks
    • 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with liquid
    • 15 oz tomato sauce
    • 2 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
    • ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
    • 6 cups beef stock (or reconstituted base)
    • 1-2 sprigs fresh Rosemary (optional)
    • 2 pieces parmesan rind (optional) skip this if you want to keep dairy free
    • 8 oz ditalini or other small pasta

    Instructions

    • add browned ground beef, beans, vegetables, tomato sauce, chopped tomato and all seasonings to slow cooker
      1½ lbs browned ground beef, 19 oz can red kidney beans, drained, 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained, 2 cups chopped mirepoix, 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with liquid, 15 oz tomato sauce, 2 tablespoon minced garlic
    • add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic to slow cooker
      2 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt, ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
    • Place parmesan rind into slow cooker, if using
      2 pieces parmesan rind (optional)
    • carefully pour beef stock into slow cooker and stir gently to mix
      6 cups beef stock (or reconstituted base)
    • lay rosemary sprigs on top of mixture, cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
      1-2 sprigs fresh Rosemary (optional)
    • 30 minutes prior to serving remove rosemary and add pasta to slow cooker. stir to mix and re-cover until serving.
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    Note:
    Be sure to remove the parmesan rind from soup prior to serving, if you use it.  

    Nutrition

    Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 6mg

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Stacey says

      January 21, 2021 at 8:29 pm

      5 stars
      My husband said “he would order this at a restaurant!”
      Everyone had seconds!!
      It was delicious!
      So easy to make!!

      Reply
      • admin says

        January 21, 2021 at 8:31 pm

        I love hearing that!! Thank you!!

    2. David says

      February 08, 2021 at 8:25 pm

      5 stars
      I could eat this every night. It is delicious!

      Reply
    3. Emily says

      May 02, 2021 at 2:36 pm

      5 stars
      10/10 recommend!

      Reply
    4. johnny says

      June 15, 2021 at 6:53 am

      can i use something else for parmesan rind if i can not find it? mayby just grated parmesan in each bowl?

      Reply
      • admin says

        June 15, 2021 at 12:17 pm

        You can definitely skip the parm rind if you can’t find any! Just sprinkle parmesan on the top of each bowl before serving.

    5. Robert G. says

      August 21, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing and delicious!

      Reply
    6. Ellen says

      October 26, 2021 at 6:22 am

      This looks delicious, I’m wondering if it’s possible to use either ground chicken or turkey? What adjustments would need to be made? Thanks in advance

      Reply
      • The Lazy Slow Cooker says

        October 26, 2021 at 12:08 pm

        Although I haven’t tried it with this recipe, I think both ground turkey and chicken would work fine. I would still brown them before adding to your slow cooker. If you try it, I would love to hear how it goes! Thanks for asking!!

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    Welcome to The Lazy Slow Cooker. I am so happy you are here! My name is Susan (yep - I am Lazy Susan!) and I am the recipe developer/blogger behind these posts. I am the mom of three amazing but super busy kids and the wife of one awesome and also super busy guy. All 5 of us have very different schedules and I would not survive mealtime without my crockpot. Read More…

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