• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Fun Recipe Ideas
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home | Main Dishes

    Grandma's Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe (Crockpot!)

    Published: Aug 29, 2022 by Kristy Richardson · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    Close up of pasta fagioli soup in a bowl with a second image of the soup in a slow cooker both from above. Title text overlay is on top of the image.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pasta fagioli soup in a bowl from the side on a counter with a spoon and a small part of a slowcooker showing nearby.

    Cozy and savory, Grandma's Pasta Fagioli soup will warm you up any day. Packed with savory bites of beef, tender beans, and pieces of pasta in a smooth tomato broth, this soup made in the slow cooker is ready when you are.

    Pasta fagioli soup in a bowl next to a slow cooker and spoon on a counter.
    Jump to:
    • ✨ Here is why this recipe is amazing:
    • 🥫 Ingredients needed:
    • 🔄 Substitutions
    • 🔪 How to make slow cooker pasta fagioli
    • ❄️ Storage Tips
    • ♨️ Reheating Instructions
    • 📝 Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
    • What Do I Server This Soup With?
    • Other Recipes You'll Love
    • Grandma's Pasta Fagioli
    • Kristy

    ✨ Here is why this recipe is amazing:

    • Hearty Dinner or Lunch- Pasta Fagioli is a filling, inexpensive dinner that warms you up on any cold day.
    • Ready When You Are- The slow cooker addition to this recipe means that dinner is hot and waiting for you when you are ready for lunch or dinner.
    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Pasta fagioli soup in a bowl from the side on a counter with a spoon and a small part of a slowcooker showing nearby.

    🥫 Ingredients needed:

    Ingredients for pasta fagioli soup in bowls next to a slowcooker from the side on a counter.
    • 1 pound ground chuck
    • 1 medium onion diced
    • 28 ounces tomatoes diced, canned
    • 15 ounces cannellini beans canned, drained and rinsed
    • 15 ounces kidney beans canned, drained and rinsed
    • 2 medium carrots diced
    • 2 cups green cabbage finely chopped
    • 2 stalks celery diced
    • 2 teaspoons dried basil dried
    • 2 cloves garlic minced, or two tablespoons minced garlic
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 32 ounces chicken broth
    • 1 cup ditalini pasta

    🔄 Substitutions

    • Change The Beans - You can easily substitute other varieties of beans in this recipe for what you have available.
    • Skip The Cabbage- If your family isn't a cabbage fan it can be skipped. Cabbage can also be swapped with kale or frozen spinach. You can also add fresh spinach in the same time you add the pasta.
    • Swap The Chicken Broth- I usually keep chicken broth in my pantry, but beef broth or vegetable broth also are delicious in this recipe.
    • Change the Meat- We've used ground beef, but you could use ground sausage, ground turkey, or a combination of ground meats.

    🔪 How to make slow cooker pasta fagioli

    • In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and onion until the meat is browned and crumbled then drain well.
    Ground beef broken up browning in a skillet from overhead close up.
    • Place the ground beef, diced onion, canned tomatoes, cannellini beans, kidney beans, diced carrots, shredded cabbage, celery, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and chicken broth in the slow cooker. Stir until well mixed.
    Vegetables, beans, meat and spices added to a sow cooker before mixing.
    • Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for four hours.
    • Add the ditalini pasta to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Push all the pasta below the liquid line. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Serve with grated parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy!
    A ladle scoops a serving of pasta fagioli soup from a slowcooker.

    ❄️ Storage Tips

    Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

    This soup can also be frozen for up to three months for best results. Personally if I plan on freezing the soup I usually leave out the cabbage because I find it doesn't freeze how I would like.

    ♨️ Reheating Instructions

    This soup can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop. You could also place leftovers back in the slow cooker to warm up for later.

    📝 Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:

    What is ditalini pasta?

    Ditalini is a small pasta that is in a small tube shape. While ditalini is the traditional pasta in pasta fagioli, other small pasta shapes such as orzo, stellini (stars) or even alphabet letters can be substituted.

    Macaroni is another great option, but I don't recommend using a pasta shape larger than macaroni.

    Do I have to add the beans?

    Traditional pasta fagioli has beans, but you could add more of the vegetables you prefer like carrots or cabbage.

    Can I make this recipe on the stovetop?

    Yes you can make this recipe on the stove. Brown the meat, and then expect to simmer all the rest of the ingredients covered for about an hour. The pasta will usually take another 10-15 minutes before it is finished, or you can boil the pasta in a separate pot and add it to the soup to speed things up.

    What Do I Server This Soup With?

    Try serving this pasta fagioli with these breadsticks, perfect for dipping. You can also serve this soup with a crusty bread, croutons, and parmesan cheese. I like to put a crispy green salad on the side, and sometimes I'll add a grilled cheese sandwich made with mozzarella cheese.

    Other Recipes You'll Love

    Crockpot Chicken And Gravy- Tender chicken in a savory gravy for a cozy meal you'll love.

    Pasta In Pink Sauce- This pretty pasta is cheesy and easy for any weeknight.

    Chicken Alfredo- Creamy, cheesy chicken alfredo is a delicious weeknight meal that's warm, gooey and delicious!

    Pasta fagioli soup in a bowl from the side on a counter with a spoon and a small part of a slowcooker showing nearby.

    Grandma's Pasta Fagioli

    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 6 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 Servings
    Calories 371 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound ground chuck
    • 1 medium onion diced
    • 28 ounces tomatoes diced, canned
    • 15 ounces cannellini beans canned, drained and rinsed
    • 15 ounces kidney beans canned, drained and rinsed
    • 2 medium carrots diced
    • 2 cups green cabbage finely chopped
    • 2 stalks celery diced
    • 2 teaspoons dried basil dried
    • 2 cloves garlic minced, or two tablespoons minced garlic
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 32 ounces chicken broth
    • 1 cup ditalini pasta

    Instructions
     

    • In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and onion until the meat is browned and crumbled then drain well.
    • Place the ground beef, diced onion, canned tomatoes, cannellini beans, kidney beans, diced carrots, shredded cabbage, celery, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and chicken broth in the slow cooker. Stir until well mixed.
    • Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for four hours.
    • Add the ditalini pasta to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Push all the pasta below the liquid line. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Serve with grated parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy!

    Notes

    To Make This Pasta Fagioli Soup On The Stovetop

    Brown the meat, and then expect to simmer all the rest of the ingredients covered for about an hour. The pasta will usually take another 10-15 minutes before it is finished, or you can boil the pasta in a separate pot and add it to the soup to speed things up.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 371kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 22gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 740mgPotassium: 780mgFiber: 10gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3398IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword crockpot, ground beef, slowcooker, soup
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Kristy Richardson stands at a kitchen counter with a laptop open in front of her and a plate of cookies to the side

    Kristy

    Cookbook Author +
    Recipe Developer at On My Kids Plate

    • Visit Twitter account (opens in a new tab)
    • Visit Facebook account (opens in a new tab)
    • Visit Instagram account (opens in a new tab)
    • Visit Pinterest account (opens in a new tab)
    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    « Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
    Sausage and Cheese Balls »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    sidebar

    Popular Posts

    • Pineapple rum punch cocktail with pineapple wedge and mint
      Pineapple Mango Rum Punch
    • green beans with red chiles in bowl with chop sticks
      Asian Green Beans
    • Burnt Ends Baked Beans square feature
      Burnt Ends Baked Beans
    • Garlic Bread Pizza Recipe

    Meet the team:

    Fun Recipe Ideas Founders (L-R) Sarah Mock, Sherri Hagymas, Lisa O'Driscoll, Krista Romano, Corinne Schmitt, Kristy Richardson, Alicia Murray, Andrea Updyke

    A weekend away, brainstorming, laughing, eating and of course, wine drinking is all it took for these ambitious women to come together to bring you all the fun recipe ideas you will need to feed your family and entertain your friends.

    Meet the team...

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Fun Recipe Ideas