Pasta Fagioli With Beef Broth and Tomato Paste Crockpot

Break out the bowls for some comfort. This slow cooker Pasta e Fagioli soup has everything you need with tender pasta, creamy beans, hearty beef or sausage and plenty of aromatics. Don't forget to sprinkle generously with some Parmesan!

Today we're making some slow cooker pasta e fagioli for all the meat lovers out there who usually turn their noses up at mere soup. This Italian-style beef and beans pasta soup is loaded with plenty of hearty ground beef or Italian sausage to add a wonderfully rich and savory taste.

There are also two kinds of creamy beans for all you bean lovers out there. We have your regular kidney beans and some great northern beans or cannellini beans, which I can never seem to spell right. These beans really add a degree of comfort to the soup to compliment the pasta perfectly and really fill you up to keep that belly warm when it's cold out there.

Then we have a rich, hearty tomato-based Italian-inspired broth to marry them all together. And finally, super cute ditalini pasta. If you're not familiar with it, imagine Super Mario pipes cut into tiny bite-sized pieces. It's small enough to not be too chewy for a soup but big enough to add some substance.

Toss in some seasoning, some Worcestershire sauce (just because it's awesome and needs to be in almost everything), a little sugar to balance out the tartness from the tomato broth, and some Parmesan shavings to top it all up once you're ready to break out the spoons. Make it soupy with extra beef broth or keep it at a chili-like consistency. It's up to you.

Hungry yet? Let's go!

WHAT IS PASTA E FAGIOLI?

Pasta e fagioli is a traditional Italian pasta soup that literally means 'pasta and beans'. The only true requirements for an authentic pasta e fagioli are that beans and pasta are included. Recipes may vary but here is my version. It's a comforting and filling soup with tender pasta, creamy beans, hearty beef or sausage and plenty of aromatics.

If you're a fan of traditional, Italian-inspired flavors like spinach and three cheese manicotti, lasagna roll-ups, ravioli lasagna, baked ziti, or some cheesy hot Italian sausage pasta bake, you will love this soup.

SLOW COOKER PASTA E FAGIOLI RECIPE TIPS

I'll preface this by saying that technically, you can toss everything in the slow cooker and whistle while you walk away for 8 hours. But sautéing the veggies beforehand brings out the most bang for your buck flavor-wise, so I ended up doing that.

I also browned the ground beef to drain off all the rendered fat, so it doesn't dilute the soup. And I added in the beans and pasta (already cooked) towards the end so the beans don't break down and get mushy and the pasta doesn't get soggy.

So try it this way if you have the time. It may make a difference! You can also try adding in the uncooked pasta towards the last 30 minutes to cook it in the soup as well. Just make sure there's enough liquid to cover it all.

Anyway, back to the beginning, we brown the beef, drain all fat, and set that aside. Then we sauté the veggies for about 5 minutes until just tender.

Now you're ready to throw it all in the slow cooker and walk away. Add in the rest of the ingredients and seasonings except for the beans and pasta and simmer on low for 8 hours to get the flavors to marry.

I added some sugar to the seasonings to balance out the tartness and acidity of the tomatoes like I always do. Try one tablespoon first, do a taste test and then decide if you want to add in the other. Or if you like the tartness, leave out the sugar.

I also added some red pepper flakes to taste just to kick things up a little. Once it's all done, toss in the cooked pasta and beans and mix it all up. And that is it. Don't forget the Parmesan and if you want something fresh to garnish with, try some parsley or basil.

Enjoy!

MORE SLOW COOKER SOUPS TO TRY

• Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup
• Slow Cooker Beef Stew
• Slow Cooker Cream Cheese and Potato Soup
• Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

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Description

Break out the bowls for some comfort. This slow cooker Pasta e Fagioli soup has everything you need with tender pasta, creamy beans, hearty beef or sausage, and plenty of aromatics. Don't forget to sprinkle generously with some Parmesan!

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• 1 lb. lean ground beef/Italian sausage
• 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 celery hearts, sliced
• 1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 can (12 oz.) V8 juice
• 3–4 cups beef broth
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup ditalini pasta, cooked al dente
• 1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans/great northern beans, drained
• Parmesan cheese for serving

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1. Over medium-high heat, brown the beef until cooked. Drain any fat and remove beef and set aside.
2. In the same pot, add some olive oil and saute onions, garlic, carrots, and celery until vegetables start to sweat, about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer vegetables and cooked beef to a 6 qt. slow cooker.
4. Pour in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, V8 juice, and beef broth and stir to mix.
5. Add in basil, oregano, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and salt, and pepper to taste.
6. Cook on low for 8 hours.
7. Add cooked pasta and beans and stir to mix.
8. Dish and serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese.
9. Enjoy!

Notes

If you want things a little soupier, add some more beef broth. This will also work when heating up the leftovers.

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 8 hours 20 mins

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Source: https://thecookingjar.com/slow-cooker-beef-and-beans-pasta-soup/

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