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Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli

Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli is a hearty Italian-American soup made with browned beef (or mild sausage), beans, and crushed tomatoes, slow-cooked until vegetables are very tender. Stir in ditalini just before serving so the pasta stays firm and the broth stays rich.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef or mild Italian sausage
  • 1 lb ground beef or mild Italian sausage Brown in a skillet and drain excess fat before adding to the slow cooker.
Diced onion
  • 1 onion Dice for even tender pieces during the long cook.
Minced garlic
  • 4 garlic Mince so it dissolves into the broth.
Diced celery
  • 3 stalks celery Dice for consistent texture.
Diced carrots
  • 2 medium carrots Dice so they become very tender by the end of cooking.
Cannellini beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) cannellini beans Drain and rinse before adding.
Crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes Add with the beans to build the red broth.
Beef broth
  • 4 cup beef broth Use to thin the soup and create a savory base.
Dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried basil
Dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
Dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes Adjust upward for more heat if desired.
Salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Ditalini pasta
  • 8 oz ditalini pasta Cook separately and stir in just before serving.
Fresh parsley
  • 0.5 cup fresh parsley Chop and use for garnish.
Parmesan
  • 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan Freshly grate and top each bowl.

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Brown the meat
  1. Brown the ground beef or mild Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, then drain excess fat.
  2. Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker.
Slow-cook the soup base
  1. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, cannellini beans, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker.
  2. Stir to combine all ingredients so the seasonings are evenly distributed.
  3. Cook on LOW for 7–8 hours, until vegetables are very tender and flavors have melded, or cook on HIGH for 3.5–4 hours for faster results.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the cooked ditalini pasta just before serving to keep the pasta from getting soft.
  2. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan, then serve hot.

Notes

For the best texture, cook the ditalini separately and stir it in at the end so it doesn’t absorb broth while the soup sits. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended because pasta can soften after thawing, but you can freeze the bean-and-broth base (without pasta) up to 2 months and cook fresh pasta when reheating. For a lighter option, use ground turkey or mild chicken sausage instead of beef while keeping the same seasonings and cook times.