Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli

Brown the beef. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned and no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes. If there is a lot of fat, spoon off most of it. (I like leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot for flavor and for sautéing the vegetables, but you can drain it fully if your beef is especially fatty.)

Build the veggie base. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Toast the tomato paste and seasonings. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). This quick step (sometimes called “blooming” the spices) deepens the flavor so the soup tastes simmered, not just assembled.

Add tomatoes and broth. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and water. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, partially covered.

Add beans. Stir in the kidney beans and Great Northern beans. Simmer 10 more minutes so the broth picks up that rich bean flavor.

Cook the pasta. For the best leftovers, cook the pasta in a separate small pot of salted water until just al dente, then drain. Add pasta to each bowl and ladle soup over top. If you prefer one-pot: add the pasta directly to the soup and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pasta soaks up broth, so you may want an extra splash of water or broth near the end to keep it nicely soupy.

Taste and finish. Adjust with more salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is thicker than you like, add a splash more broth or water. If it tastes a little flat, a tiny splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon wakes everything up (optional, but magical).

Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan and parsley. If you want the full restaurant feeling, serve with warm bread for dunking.