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
- 5 ounces small tube-shaped pasta such as ditalini or tubetti (1 cup dry)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 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
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
- Fresh chopped parsley or basil, optional garnish
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.Â
- 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:Â 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.Â
Freezing:Â 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.Â
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Soup
- Method: simmer
- Cuisine: Italian