Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli Soup {Winter Comfort Foods Recipe Exchange & Giveaway}

When winter sets in my family craves comfort food. Whether it's creamy casseroles, stick to your rib stews or hearty soups we love them all. Nothing hits the spot on a cold day better than a big bowl of soup. One of my favorite soups is this copy cat version of Olive Gardens Pasta Fagioli Soup.

If you're not familiar with Pasta Fagioli it's a Italian style meatless soup with pasta and beans. I have seen this soup prepared with the addition of meat, but we prefer to stay traditional and enjoy it meatless.

Anytime I head to Olive Garden I always choose either their pasta fagioli soup or the Chicken and Gnocchi Soup. It's such a hard decision, because I love them both. This easy recipe is prepared in the crock pot, but will taste like you spent hours making it on the stove.

Don't you just love those kinds of recipes? To me this soup taste just like Olive Gardens and it only requires a few simple ingredients. Pair this soup with a salad and fluffy bread sticks to complete your meal.

If you're looking for a great salad to serve along side this yummy soup you can try this copy cat version of Olive Gardens Salad and Salad Dressing I have posted on my blog.

Do you have a favorite comfort food recipe that contains beans? If so then you can join in on the Bush’s Beans Winter Comfort Foods Recipe Exchange! 

 How to join the Winter Comfort Foods
Recipe Exchange & Giveaway

From now, February 4th until February 11th 2013 you can join Aggies Kitchen and Real Mom Kitchen for a Virtual Recipe Exchange, where you can share a family favorite "Winter Comfort Food Recipe".  

1. All you have to do is upload your own winter comfort foods recipe that contains beans via the widget found on Aggie’s Kitchen and Real Mom Kitchen. 
2. Include this Bush’s phrase (Join Aggie’s Kitchen and Real Mom Kitchen to share a family favorite Winter Comfort Food recipe for the Bush’s Beans Recipe Exchange) in your recipe post. There is no restriction on the number of recipe entries readers can submit.
3. Post a comment on Aggie or Laura’s Virtual Link-Up blog post letting them know you linked-up (this counts as your entry).

 You only need to add it to one site, because it will show up on both. If you don't have a blog you can still enter by leaving your recipe in the comments section at one of their blogs (comments left on Mommy's Kitchen do not count).  

 Head over to each of their blogs and and link up your recipe for a chance to win
the following.  

 

10 - free coupons for Bush’s Beans

 $100 - Visa Gift Card and a

 Le Creuset Signature Enameled Round 5.5 QT Cast Iron French Oven 

This soup is easy peasy to make. The only prep work required is sauteing the vegetables before adding everything into the crock pot.  

Easy Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli Soup

1 - tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
1 - cup yellow onion, diced
1 - cup carrots, diced
1 - cup celery, chopped
1 - 26 oz jar Ragu Garden Style Tomato, Garlic and Onion Marinara Sauce
2 - 14 oz cans low sodium chicken broth
3 - cups water 
salt and pepper to taste
1 - large bay leaf
1 - 14 oz can Bushs cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 14 oz can Bushs light red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 - cup tiny shell pasta
Parmigiano cheese, garnish  
Crusty Bread, Fluffy Bread Sticks & Salad

Heat olive oil in a small skillet. add onion, celery and carrots, saute for 2 minutes. 

In a 8 quart crock pot add marinara sauce, chicken broth, water, bay leaf, drained and rinsed beans, cooked vegetables, salt and pepper to taste. 

Cook on high for 3 - 4 hours. The last 30 minutes of cooking add the tiny shelled pasta. Cook an additional 30 minutes. 

Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated parmesan reggiano cheese.

Recipe inspired by Barilla   Recipe serves:  6 - 8 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bush Beans. All opinions stated above are entirely my own.