Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Copycat Recipe

Last week I fell in love with OG's Pasta Fagioli soup. I usually get Zuppa Toscana but was looking for something the baby could share with me and thought the beans and small pieces of pasta would be perfect. I was right - she loved it and so did I! When I went searching for a copycat recipe online, this is the only one that used the right type of pasta. Boy did I hit the jackpot!  Not only was this delicious - it was super simple to make.  With 3 kids under the age of 5, I look for recipes that don't require me to be in the kitchen for hours on end.  Although, this simmered on the stove for an hour, actual prep time was probably only about 30 minutes.  That's a winner in my book!

Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Copycat Recipe

Ingredients
1lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
1 c carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can great northern beans (w/ liquid)
1 can red kidney beans (w/ liquid)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
12 oz V8 juice
1 T white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 lb ditali pasta
Parmesan, shredded (optional)

Directions
Brown the ground beef. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add the remaining ingredients (except pasta) and simmer on low for an hour. When the hour is almost over, cook the pasta al dente and then add to the soup.  Sprinkle some parmesan on top and serve.

Source
Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes

Notes
Make sure the pasta cooked al dente- it will absorb some liquid in the soup and become softer.