Pasta e Fagioli
This Pasta e Fagioli is the perfect hearty Italian soup—the ultimate comfort food. Packed with amazing flavors from fresh veggies, bacon, cannellini beans, and ditalini pasta, this soup is ready in 30 minutes!
After a recent trip to Italy, I think it’s safe to say I ate my weight in Pasta e Fagioli. I love this soup filled with tender pasta and cannellini beans cooked in a delicious chicken stock with rosemary and tomato. I added bacon for a salty, umami flavor that is so divine! The smell that comes from this soup cooking is so incredible it will have the whole family peeking into the kitchen and asking, “What is for dinner?” This pasta e fagioli soup is hearty and flavorful and has the feel of a thick stew, but it can easily be adjusted to the consistency that you prefer. You can change the beans, choose from the many types of pasta, and add more vegetables if you want. The versatility of this classic soup is amazing, and you’ll be dreaming of ways to make it over and over again. So, slice up a fresh loaf of French bread or a baguette to dip in this heavenly soup and enjoy!
Why You Will Love This Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- This soup is so quick and easy and ready in 30 minutes.
- It is a true comfort food with rich flavor that the entire family will love.
- This is freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep.
- This Pasta e Fagioli Soup requires simple ingredients that you can find at all grocery stores.
- This is easily adjustable to be dairy-free, gluten-free or grain-free.
Ingredients You Will Need For This Pasta e Fagioli Recipe
- Olive oil: I love to use extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe. It has a simple, neutral flavor. You could also use avocado oil instead.
- Bacon: I like to cut the bacon in half lengthwise, and then cut it into 1/4″ strips. They become so crispy and delicious and adds amazing extra flavor.
- Fresh Vegetables: Onion and celery are finely chopped and sauteed aromatic veggies for this hearty soup. I love to use yellow onion for this, but white onion is a delicious and sweet option to use.
- Fresh Garlic: Be sure to chop the fresh garlic cloves finely or use a garlic press.
- Tomato paste: You can use store-bought or homemade to be used for both flavor and to thicken the soup.
- Dried rosemary: Rosemary is a classic herb for Pasta e Fagioli. You can of course use fresh rosemary if you prefer.
- Chicken stock: If you prefer you can use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian. Chicken broth will also work wonderfully.
- Cannellini beans: You can soak dry cannellini beans or use canned for this recipe. Be sure to rinse the canned well. You can use white kidney beans or butter beans if you prefer.
- Ditalini pasta: Ditalini is lovely, tiny, and delicious! You can use any other type of small pasta shape, like small elbow, small shells, or tubetti.
How To Make This Pasta Fagioli Soup
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add bacon and cook for 5 minutes or until crisp and then add in the onion, garlic and diced celery and saute for 3 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
- Add in the tomato paste and rosemary and stir before adding 4 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of cannelini beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat and leave to simmer for 20 minutes (if the liquid begins to evaporate too much, add another cup of chicken stock or cup of water).
- While the beans are cooking, place the additional 1 cup of cannelini beans in a tall container with a splash of water or a bit of broth and blend until smooth using an immersion blender.
- After 20 minutes, add the additional 2 cups of chicken stock, dried pasta, and pureed cannellini bean paste and bring to a boil. Leave the pasta to boil for 10 minutes or until al dente. If there is not enough liquid in the pot, add a splash more. It should be a thick stew-like consistency.
- Remove the pot from the heat and leave to sit for 2 minutes before sprinkling with parmesan and fresh parsley.
What Is Pasta e Fagioli?
Pasta e Fagioli is Italian for “pasta and beans.” It is a hearty, classic Italian soup recipe typically made with a combination of a handful of pasta, beans (typically cannellini or Borlotti beans), vegetables, and sometimes tomatoes. It is a classic comfort food that is nutritious and packed with simple ingredients, making it a staple in Italian cuisine! Serve it with freshly ground parmesan cheese on top and a slice of crusty bread for the whole traditional experience.
Which Type of White Bean Should I Use For This Pasta e Fagioli?
I love using cannellini beans for this traditional italian soup. Cannellini beans are a classic Italian white bean used in soups, salads, and pasta. They are smooth and creamy and have a slightly nutty flavor, but tender white beans are the goal. White kidney beans are another option. They are very similar in their shape and texture as a cannellini bean. They are a little firmer, yet creamy beans and have a mild flavor. Butter beans are also a great pick. They are also known as lima beans. They can be more green in color though depending on what you can find. They are soft and buttery and have a sweet flavor to them.
How Can I Modify This Soup To Fit My Dietary Restrictions?
You can easily modify this Italian dish in many ways:
- Are you vegetarian? Easy: use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and leave out the bacon.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta or leaving it out altogether.
- Dairy-free? Use dairy-free parmesan, or don’t add it at the end.
Can I Make This Traditional Italian Pasta Fagioli Recipe in the Slow Cooker?
This is quick and easy to put in the slow cooker. Chop the bacon and crisp on the stove and then saute the onion and garlic. Move it all to the slow cooker and add remaining ingredients except the pasta and the parmesan. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. In the last 20-30 minutes add the pasta and stir to mix in thoroughly. Check to ensure pasta is fully cooked and serve with freshly grated parmesan.
Can I Make This Pasta e Fagioli in the Instant Pot?
This is so convenient to make in the instant pot. Using the saute setting, brown your bacon until crispy and then saute your onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and parmesan. Close the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Do a quick release of the vent and remove lid. Add pasta, and if it’s too thick, add a bit more liquid. Close the lid again and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the pasta to cook. Remove lid and check for doneness. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy!
Can I Make This Italian Pasta e Fagioli Soup in Advance?
This is the perfect meal to prepare in advance. You can make it 3-4 days before serving it, or serve half of it and store the rest in the freezer for up to 3 months. It is also excellent to divide into individual servings and store them in the fridge or freezer-safe containers for meals to be enjoyed for days or months!
What About Leftovers?
If you have leftovers of this amazing soup, they will last in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container, or in the freezer for 3-4 months. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before storing it away. To reheat, warm on the stove over medium heat until steaming and heated through, or warm in the microwave until heated to perfection.
Here Are A Few More Soup Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Roasted Carrot Soup
- Beef and “Barley” Soup
- Turkey Mulligatawny Soup
- Creamy (or not) Tomato Soup
- Beef Taco Soup
- Hearty Beef & Vegetable Stew
- Spiced Carrot & Lentil Soup
If you make this Italian pasta fagioli recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think, or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 oz diced thick cut bacon cut in half lengthwise and then into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 2 ribs celery finely diced (should equal 1 cup finely diced celery)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups cannellini beans 1 ½ cans
- 1 cup ditali pasta
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan
Instructions
- In a large pot heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Once hot add in the bacon and saute for 5 minutes until crisp and then add in the onion, garlic and diced celery and saute for 3 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
- Add in the tomato paste and rosemary and stir before adding 4 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of cannellini beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and leave to simmer for 20 minutes (if the liquid begins to evaporate too much, add another cup of chicken stock).
- While the beans are cooking place the additional 1 cup of cannellini beans in a tall container with a splash of water and blend until smooth using an immersion blender.
- After 20 minutes add in the additional 2 cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of ditali pasta plus the pureed cannellini bean paste and bring to a boil. Leave the pasta to boil for 10 minutes or until al dente. If there is not enough liquid in the pot, add a splash more, it should be a thick stew like consistency.
- Remove the pot from the heat and leave to sit for 2 minutes before sprinkling with parmesan and serving.
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