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Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli

Crock Pot pasta fagioli made in a slow cooker with tender vegetables, cannellini beans, and a rich red beef broth. Browned meat adds depth, and ditalini pasta is stirred in at the end so it stays firm and not mushy.
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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: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meat base
  • 1 lb ground beef or mild Italian sausage Use ground beef or mild Italian sausage; brown and drain excess fat before slow-cooking.
Vegetable aromatics
  • 1 onion Dice to small, even pieces so they soften evenly.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 3 celery Dice.
  • 2 carrots Dice.
Beans and tomatoes
  • 2 can (15 oz) cannellini beans Drain and rinse.
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cup beef broth
Seasonings
  • 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 into the slow cooker just before serving.
  • 1 fresh parsley Chop and garnish bowls.
  • 0.25 cup freshly grated Parmesan Grate and sprinkle to taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

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

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the cannellini beans to reduce excess starch so the broth stays cleaner and less cloudy. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat gently. Freezing is not recommended because the pasta can soften further, but you can freeze the bean/meat base without pasta and stir in freshly cooked ditalini when reheating. For a lighter option, use mild turkey sausage or lean ground beef to reduce total fat.