Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
45 mins
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Cook Time
7 hrs 40 mins
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Total Time
8 hrs 10 mins
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Servings
12
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Calories
354 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Description
Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup is a robust Italian-inspired stew featuring a blend of ground beef and Italian sausage browned with salt and simmered with red wine and tomato paste to build a savory base. Fire-roasted tomatoes, kidney beans, and thin ditalini pasta add texture and substance, while fresh rosemary, oregano, pesto, and Worcestershire sauce layer the flavors throughout the long, gentle cooking. The soup’s broth becomes rich and aromatic, with vegetables like carrots softening to a tender finish.
The method emphasizes browning the meats to develop depth before slow-cooking all ingredients, aside from the pasta, low and slow for several hours until the carrots and flavors soften and meld. The pasta is added near the end to keep from overcooking and to maintain a slightly firm texture within the hearty soup.
Serve garnished with fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for brightness and a touch of umami. This soup can make a large batch, ideal for meal prep or feeding a family, and tastes good as leftovers with broth adjusted to preference.
Storing the soup and pasta separately preserves pasta texture when refrigerating leftovers. If combined, adding more broth when reheating returns soup to a preferred consistency. The recipe allows flexibility with pesto and types of beans, accommodating substitutions without much loss of character.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt for meat
- ½ cup red wine dry
- 1 6- ounce tomato paste canned
- 1 onion finely chopped, medium
- 1 pound carrot peeled and sliced
- 1 14 ½- ounce fire-roasted canned tomatoes if you can't find these, just use regular diced tomatoes, can
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- 2 tablespoons pesto
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon rosemary finely chopped fresh
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 15 ounce Kidney Beans drained and rinsed, dark red, canned
- 1 ¼ cups ditalini pasta uncooked
- For garnish:
- parsley for serving, fresh
- Parmesan Cheese for serving, freshly grated
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and Italian sausage and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium size pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. (If you're using the KitchenAid Multi Cooker, just brown the meat right in the insert.) Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up meat with a metal or plastic spatula, till meat mixture is deep golden brown. With a large spoon or spatula, push meat to one side and tip pot so that any grease will accumulate on the other side. Remove any accumulated grease with a spoon or sop up with paper towels and discard.
- Add the red wine to the meat and bring to a steady simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until almost all the wine has evaporated, about 3-5 minutes. Add tomato paste and, stirring frequently, cook for another few minutes, until mixture is fragrant and turns deep red in color. Transfer mixture to the insert of your slow cooker.
- Add all remaining ingredients except pasta. Cover and cook on low power for 7-8 hours or until carrots are nice and tender.
- Just before serving, cook Ditalini (or other pasta) according to package directions until al dente. Drain and add to soup***** (see notes below). Serve soup with a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- Use lean ground sirloin or a quality brand of Italian sausage for flavor without excess fat.
- Baby carrots can simplify preparation by eliminating peeling.
- Homemade or store-bought pesto works for layering herbal flavor; freezing pesto and scooping as needed can aid convenience.
- For leftovers, keep the pasta separate from soup to prevent mushiness, or add extra broth when reheating if combined.
- This large batch recipe can be halved but stores well for multiple servings.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 354 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 354kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 34g | 11% |
| Protein | 18g | 36% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 41mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 1316mg | 55% |
| Potassium | 767mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 6775IU | 136% |
| Vitamin C | 8.4mg | 9% |
| Calcium | 80mg | 8% |
| Iron | 3.8mg | 21% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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