Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli and Breadsticks

If you’re like me and can’t go to Olive Garden every time your heart desires, well guess what?!  You can have Olive Garden at home!  Alllll of the credit for this soup recipe goes to my friend Mary, who posted it on her blog ages ago (I can’t find it now) and my life has never been the same. Just kidding.  Kinda. It is SO, SO, SO good.  And a dead-ringer for the Olive Garden version.  I was craving it the other night, and then I wondered if I could find a good breadstick recipe to round out the meal. 

Well girls, you’re in luck – because I found an awesome one for you to try! 

Brandy from the blog Gluesticks posted her wonderful recipe, so twice in the past three weeks I have made this Olive Garden-themed dinner.  In fact, I just had leftovers for dinner tonight.  :)  {As a bonus, she also includes the recipe for Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana (which I’ve never tried because I hate sausage but I’m sure one of you out there will want to try it!)} 

Rather than type out all of the ingredients for the soup, I’m just going to direct you to the site:  Top Secret Recipes’ Pasta e Fagioli.  {Two tips: You’re going to want 2-3 times the V-8, especially if you’re having leftovers (the beans will absorb it, especially overnight).  I also never add pasta directly to the soup (it will suck all of the liquid out).  Serve it on the side and let people add as much as they want.}

As far as the breadsticks go, I took Brandy’s advice about using only 1/2 stick of butter for the topping, and she’s right - it’s fine.  I keep subbing in more whole wheat flour each time I make these.  Yesterday I made them with 2 cups whole wheat and 1 and 1/2 cups of unbleached white, and I think they came out awesome.  That’s the way I will continue to make them. 

Enjoy the links – and enjoy your delicious dinner.  ;)

Linked to these great blogs:
Tasty Tuesday @ Beauty and Bedlam
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff
Tempt my Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed With Grace