Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagioli Recipe to Make Ahead and Freeze

It seems like there are a lot of ingredients for this recipe, which is probably why it is a hearty soup. But, it really isn't very difficult to make. When you're done, you have a tomato-based, one-dish meal chock full of vegetables, beans and herbs. Leave the ground beef out to make it vegetarian.

We wanted to make our pasta e fagiole as tasty as the soup you might enjoy at Olive Garden. A little research indicates that the secret ingredients may be vinegar and tomato juice. They make the soup a little more tangy than other versions.

Before the recipe, did you know?. Pasta e fagiole means "pasta and beans." This soup has its roots in Italy where these ingredients were cheap and readily available. Since that time, it has become a staple at most Italian restaurants.

Next up...the recipe:

Gather the following ingredients and prepare them as indicated:

• 1 cup lean ground beef, browned and crumbled (approx. 1/2 pound raw)

• 1 cup red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (15 ounce can is about 1 1/2 cups--go ahead and use the additional amount if desired)

• 1 cup great Northern beans, rinsed and drained (see note above)

• 2 cups ditali or elbow pasta, cooked (approx. 4 ounces uncooked)

• 2 cups tomatoes, diced (one 14.5 ounce can)

• 1 cup tomato sauce (8 ounce can is about 1 cup)

• 1/2 cup tomato juice

• 2 teaspoons vinegar

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup onion, diced (Uncooked vegetables soften as soup cooks. If desired, soften onions, celery carrot on stove-top with a Tablespoon of olive oil.)

• 1/2 cup celery, diced

• 1/2 cup carrot, cut in small pieces or slivers

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1. Place an empty ziplock bag in a cylinder. Add the following ingredients to the empty ziplock bag:

2. Stir contents of ziplock bag with spoon.

3. Follow cooking directions below to enjoy this entree now.

4. For portions you would like to freeze, place ziplock bag with soup inside another ziplock bag.

5. Label with cooking directions below.

6. Freeze bag so that it is flat for easy storage and faster defrosting.

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Instructions: Thaw soup in refrigerator for approx. 24-36 hours. Pour contents of ziplock bag in large pot and cook over medium heat until heated through, stirring frequently.

Serving Suggestions: Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese over the top and serve with favorite crackers.

Servings:_____________________

Preparation date:______________________________

• Leave out the ground beef for a vegetarian pasta e fagioli soup.
• Use low fat beef and whole wheat pasta for a South Beach Phase II dish.
• If you leave out the pasta, it will be a South Beach Phase I dish.
• Substitute fresh herbs for dried herbs using a 3:1 ratio of fresh to dried. Use about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of basil and oregano and 1 Tablespoon of thyme in this recipe.
• Consume with 2-3 months of freezing for the best quality. This entree freezes really well and you will probably to store it even longer.