Name: Pasta E Fagioli
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 5 ounces small tube-shaped pasta such as ditalini or tubetti (1 cup dry); ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 ½ cups); 2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped (1 cup); 1 small green bell pepper, diced (3/4 cup); 2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 good sized cloves); 3 ounces pancetta, chopped; 1 bay leaf; 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; Fresh rosemary leaves from 1 sprig, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried); Fresh thyme leaves from 2 sprigs, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried); 2 15-ounce cans cannellini or great northern beans with their liquid; 3-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I use Swanson’s or Pacific Organic); 1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomato puree; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper; ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiana Reggiano cheese; Fresh chopped parsley or basil, optional garnish

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Pasta e fagioli is one of the great Italian comfort foods - a hearty, nourishing soup of beans and tiny pasta shapes in rich, flavorful broth. After the soup is cooked, half of it is pureed which gives this soup a creamy stew-like texture. I've found that using canned white beans to make pasta e fagioli produces excellent results. Plus it allows you to easily cook this delicious Italian pasta and bean soup on a busy weeknight or a lazy weekend.

A porcelain bowl filled with pasta e fagioli soup with tiny tubes of pasta and cannellini beans, topped with finely grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil.

What is pasta e fagioli?

Pasta e fagioli means "pasta and beans" in Italian - a name that tells you just what to expect. Sometimes the 'e' is dropped and it's called 'pasta fagioli' and sometimes it's called 'pasta fasule' or even 'pasta fazool.'

Pasta e fagioli (or however you want to call it) is a simple rustic soup of beans and tiny tubular pasta shapes simmered in a flavorful broth made from sautéed aromatic vegetables, pancetta, herbs and chicken stock.

What is the authentic pasta e fagioli recipe

I've done lots of research to find the answer to this question.

I've come across folks who insist that true pasta e fagioli should be made without tomatoes or that celery is a must or that to be authentic, this dish has to be made with barlotti beans.

But after combing through multiple authentic pasta e fagioli recipes - this one, this one, and this one - for example, I found that no two are the same. The only definition of authentic pasta e fagioli that stands true, as far as I can tell, is that if your Italian "nonna" (grandma) makes it a certain way, it's authentic. So I'm going with that!

Pasta e fagioli vs minestrone

Some people confuse pasta e fagioli with its Italian cousin minestrone soup because both are made with vegetables, beans and pasta but they are actually quite distinct from one another.

Pasta fagioli is a pasta and bean soup with a thick hearty broth, and though it contains vegetables, they are hardly noticeable because they're finely chopped and sautéed to create the flavor base for the soup. Minestrone, on the other hand, has lots of colorful chunky vegetables, along with beans and pasta, in a thin tomato broth.

A porcelain bowl filled with pasta e fagiole soup with cannellini beans and tiny tubular pasta shapes in a thick broth.

My family adores this soup. It's easy to prepare, deeply satisfying and, most importantly, it's absolutely delicious.

Ready to make pasta e fagioli?

Here's what you'll need:

Onion, carrots, green bell pepper (or celery) and garlic - these vegetables are finely chopped and sautéed to create a delicious base layer of flavor.
Pancetta - often called 'Italian bacon', pancetta is a flavorful, seasoned meat made from pork belly that's frequently used in Italian cooking to add rich savory flavor to a dish.
Thyme and Rosemary - fresh herbs are best but dried will work well, too
Crushed red pepper flakes and a Bay leaf
Chicken broth - or vegetable broth to make this vegetarian or vegan
Canned tomato puree - use a good quality imported Italian brand
Canned cannellini beans - or great northern beans
Dry ditalini pasta or another small sized pasta shape
Olive oil - to sauté the aromatic vegetables and to drizzle over the finished soup
Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients set out on a white wooden tray: 2 cans of great northern beans, a yellow onion, a head of garlic, 3 carrots, a green pepper, a box of ditalini pasta, a jar of crushed red pepper flakes, a package of pancetta, a box of chicken broth. a can of Italian tomato puree and fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme, and a bay leaf.

How to make pasta e fagioli

Here's an overview of the recipe with photos. For exact amounts and precise, printable directions, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Cook the ditalini pasta. Drain it and set it aside.
In a large pot, sauté the onions, carrots and green pepper in olive oil until the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and rosemary and cook for thirty seconds or so, until fragrant.
Add the pancetta and cook it with the aromatic vegetables for a few minutes more, until the fat has rendered.

chopped carrots, onions and green bell pepper simmering in a dutch oven and being stirred with a wooden spoon

aromatic vegetables, herbs and garlic simmering in a Dutch oven

Stir in the beans and the bay leaf, then the crushed tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper.
Cook the soup for ten minutes at a simmer.

sautéd aromatic vegetables in a Dutch oven with canned white beans added

Dutch oven filled with broth, canned tomato puree, a bay leaf, white beans, and other ingredients for pasta and bean soup

Remove the bay leaf and puree half the soup which will give the pasta e fagioli a wonderful creamy texture. For less clean-up, I like to puree the soup right in the pot, using an immersion hand blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, a conventional blender or food processor will work well, too.
To finish, stir in the cooked pasta and simmer the soup for a few minutes until it's heated through.

immersion blender in an oval Dutch oven filled with soup, half of soup looks lighter after it has been pureed.

cooked Ditalini pasta being poured from a small mesh strainer into a pot of soup

Advance Preparation

Pasta e fagioli will keep well for up to three days in a tightly covered container in the fridge, but don't add the pasta or you'll have soup with soggy pasta. When you reheat the soup, boil the pasta and add it in just before serving.

The same goes for freezing. Freeze pasta e fagioli for up to three months - without the pasta. Add fresh cooked pasta to soup after it has been defrosted and heated through.

How to serve pasta e fagioli

A big bowl of pasta e fagioli can easily satisfy as the main course. A small bowl makes a great starter course for an Italian dinner.

Garnish the bowls with chopped fresh basil or parsley, if you like, and pass around the pepper mill and additional freshly grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese.

This is such a hearty and satisfying dish, you really don't need anything else for dinner though If you like a side dish with your soup, an Italian tricolore salad with lemon vinaigrette will be perfect. Good crusty bread will also work well with this soup, especially when the bowl is nearly empty and you want to sop up the last delicious bits.

bowl of pasta e fagioli soup with tiny tubular pasta and cannellini beans, in thick broth, topped with grated parmesan cheese

If you cook this pasta e fagioli soup, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Pasta E Fagioli

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5 from 4 reviews

Author: Lisa Goldfinger
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings 1x

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Description

This pasta e fagioli is a delicious Italian pasta and bean soup, hearty enough to serve for dinner and sure to become a family favorite. This recipe uses canned beans so you can easily prepare this on a busy weeknight. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and pass around the black pepper and grated cheese.

Ingredients

Units Scale

5 ounces small tube-shaped pasta such as ditalini or tubetti (1 cup dry)
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 ½ cups)
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped (1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, diced (¾ cup)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 good sized cloves)
3 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh rosemary leaves from 1 sprig, finely chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried)
Fresh thyme leaves from 2 sprigs, finely chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried)
2 15- ounce cans cannellini or great northern beans with their liquid
3-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I use Swanson’s or Pacific Organic)
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomato puree
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
Fresh chopped parsley or basil, optional garnish

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Instructions

Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water until 1 minute less than al dente, so if the package says to boil 10 minutes for al dente, boil for 9 minutes. Drain pasta and set it aside.
Heat oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over med heat. Add onion, pepper and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add chopped pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes more.
Add garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary and thyme and cook, stirring for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the bay leaf, beans with their liquid, 3 cups of broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered, at a simmer.
Remove the bay leaf and puree half the soup using an immersion blender, standard blender or food processor.
Add the pasta and simmer the soup for a couple of minutes, until heated through. If you desire a thinner soup, add some of the remaining one cup of chicken broth. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with a little olive oil and garnish with fresh chopped herbs and grated cheese. Offer freshly ground pepper and more grated cheese.

Notes

Storage: Pasta e fagioli will keep well for 3 days, covered, in the fridge. However, if you are preparing it ahead, hold off on cooking the pasta until you reheat the soup. Otherwise it will get mushy. Prepare the soup from step 2 through step 6 and chill. Cook and add the pasta when you reheat the soup, just before serving.

Freezing: Pasta e fagioli freezes beautifully and will keep for up to 3 months in a sealed freezer-friendly container. For best results, prepare the soup from step 2 through step 6 and freeze it (without the pasta). Cook the pasta when you reheat the soup and add it in just before serving.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Category: Soup
Method: simmer
Cuisine: Italian

Pasta e Fagioli

What is pasta e fagioli?

What is the authentic pasta e fagioli recipe

Pasta e fagioli vs minestrone