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Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli

Crock Pot pasta fagioli is an Italian-American slow-cooker soup with tender vegetables, cannellini beans, and a rich red broth. Browned meat simmers for hours so the flavors meld, then ditalini pasta is stirred in right before serving for a hearty, non-mushy texture.
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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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef or mild Italian sausage
  • 1 lb ground beef or mild Italian sausage BROWN and DRAIN excess fat before adding to the slow cooker.
Vegetables
  • 1 onion DICE.
  • 4 garlic MINCE.
  • 3 celery DICE.
  • 2 carrots DICE.
Beans and tomatoes
  • 2 can (15 oz) cannellini beans DRAIN and RINSE.
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
Broth and seasonings
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Pasta and garnish
  • 8 oz ditalini pasta COOK separately, then STIR in just before serving.
  • fresh parsley CHOP for garnish.
  • freshly grated Parmesan GRATE fresh for garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Brown and load the slow cooker
  1. Brown the ground beef or mild Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, then drain excess fat.
  2. Add the browned meat to the slow cooker.
Build the soup base
  1. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots to the slow cooker.
  2. Add cannellini beans and crushed tomatoes to the slow cooker.
  3. Pour in beef broth, then add dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
  4. Stir to combine all ingredients, scraping down the sides so everything is evenly distributed.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on low for 7–8 hours until vegetables are very tender and flavors have melded.
  2. If using high heat, cook for 3.5–4 hours until vegetables are very tender and flavors have melded.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the cooked ditalini pasta just before serving so it stays tender but not mushy.
  2. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan.

Notes

For best texture, cook the ditalini pasta separately and add it only right before serving; it prevents the pasta from absorbing too much broth. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months (freeze without garnishes, and consider undercooking the pasta slightly if you expect to freeze). For a lighter option, swap mild Italian sausage with lean turkey sausage while keeping the same seasonings.