Italian Chili ~
Chili and pasta together in one delicious dinner!
This is the kind of meal I want to cozy up with and eat on cool and rainy days. It’s hearty and comforting and fills my kitchen with the exhilarating aroma of garlic and Italian seasonings. No side dish needed; this is a meal unto itself.
You’re going to love this Italian-style chili!
Ingredients, Tips, & Substitutions
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- celery – Adds a nice touch, in my opinion, but could be omitted if you’re not a fan.
- garlic – I’m pretty sure it’s against some law to include ‘Italian’ in the name of a recipe and not include garlic.
- ground black pepper
- vegetable broth – Vegan beef-style broth will also work. Better Than Bouillon’s No-Beef Base is a good one.
- diced tomatoes
- tomato paste
- dried thyme
- dried basil
- dried oregano
- dried parsley – This is a rare occasion where I’m recommending dried vs. fresh parsley. The reason is simply due to the extended period of time it spends simmering in the chili.
- vegan ground beef – My current favorites for this recipe are Impossible and Beyond Meat brands.
- cannellini beans – Or other white beans such as Great Northern or navy beans.
- ditalini pasta – Any small pasta shape, really.
How To Make Italian Chili
Cook the aromatics. Into a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and celery. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until softened. Add the garlic and black pepper, then continue cooking for an additional 1 minute.
Add liquid, tomatoes, and Italian seasonings. Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Season with thyme, basil, oregano, and parsley.
Cover and simmer. Bring just to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Cook the vegan ground beef and pasta. While the chili is simmering, cook the vegan ground beef according to package directions and set aside. Also, cook the pasta according to package directions and set it aside.
Add remaining ingredients and serve. When the 1 hour simmer time is up, stir in the cooked vegan ground beef, cannellini beans, and ditalini pasta. Continue simmering for 10 minutes to heat through then serve.
Enjoy!
Want More Easy Chili Recipes? Try these!
Italian Chili
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1/4 cup garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 1 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 14 ounces vegan ground beef
- 14 ounces cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
Instructions
- Into a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and celery. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until softened. Add the garlic and black pepper, then continue cooking for an additional 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Season with thyme, basil, oregano, and parsley.
- Bring just to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- While the chili is simmering, cook the vegan ground beef according to package directions and set aside. Also, cook the pasta according to package directions and set it aside.
- When the 1 hour simmer time is up, stir in the cooked vegan ground beef, cannellini beans, and ditalini pasta. Continue simmering for 10 minutes to heat through then serve.
prinzessbtrfly
is there a way to do this in the crock pot???
Holly
Great idea – I don't see why it wouldn't work on Low. Definitely still wait until the last 15 min. or so to add the pasta though so it doesn't turn to mush during the day. 🙂
prinzessbtrfly
ok, i figured that. Thanks so much. 🙂 it's just getting cold in MO and i recently got the insane craving for chili. 😀 do you think i just boil my noodles first and then dump them in or do it a different way….
Christy
Thank you so much for this recipe. We made this for Christmas Eve and it was perfect. Definitely double recipe so there are leftovers. One pot served 8 of us a generous amount. Sharing this with everyone.
Kayla DiMaggio
Totally digging this Italian Chili. Such an easy recipe to make during the school year!
thiswifecooks
Yay! We love it, too! Thanks, Kayla!
Stef
This looks Incredible! Like the idea of Italian Seasonings!
Chrissaysnature
This Italian chili is the ultimate comfort food! I tried many chili recipes, but this one seems to be just so special. Thanks for the recipe.
Lucy
This is such a hearty comforting meal packed full of nutritious ingredients. Thank you for sharing!
Anaiah
Loving this vegan Italian chili! It’s the ultimate comfort food and packed with flavor. I’m sure we’ll be making it more often as it starts to get cooler.
Joshua
Wow! This was a super comforting bowl of chili! It’s my new go to recipe when I miss meat. The texture is spot on and this dish is full of flavor!
Julia
We loved this recipe. It turned out so well thanks to your instructions. It was flavourful and just plain delicious. We’ll be eating this again and again I think. Thank you.