Italian Pasta e Fagioli {Pasta and Beans Soup}

5 from 4 votes

Italian Pasta e Fagioli {Pasta and Beans Soup}

Presenting our Traditional Pasta e Fagioli {Pasta with Beans Soup} - it's the ultimate Italian comfort food in a bowl! This timeless blend brings together small pasta, beans (fagioli), pancetta, and veggies, all simmered to perfection in a flavorful broth. Ideal for anyone craving a comforting meal bursting with Italian flavors!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: beans, gluten-free, soup

Servings: servings

Calories: 158kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

1 Dutch oven

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
6 oz. pancetta diced or bacon, see notes for vegan/vegetarian option
1 medium onion finely diced
2 carrots peeled finely diced
2 stalks celery leaves removed and finely diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cans 30 oz total, borlotti beans (Roman/cranberry beans) drained and rinsed (or use cannelini, pinto, kidney beans)
1 14 ounces canned whole tomatoes hand crushed
7- 8 cups stock vegetable or chicken low sodium I used my homemade chicken broth
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or dried rosemary if you can't get fresh
2 bay leaves
1 cup dried ditalini pasta or another type of small pasta

Instructions

Heat oil: In a large (10-inch) pot or Dutch oven over medium heat heat 3 tablespoons olive oil .
Cook pancetta: Add the pancetta to the heated oil and and cook until it starts to crisp and the fat is rendered, about 4-5 minutes. Stir while it's cooking with wooden spoon so it doesn't brown too much on one side.
Sauté vegetables: Add in the onion, carrots, celery, and cook for 6-8 minutes, until softened. Stir with wooden spoon while it's cooking . Add the garlic in and stir for one minute, be sure to not let it brown.
Add in the tomatoes: and use a wooden spoon to break them up (if using canned plum tomatoes, break them up before adding, and remove the tough white core. Or puree' them in a blender, or use tomato passata).
Add broth + beans: Pour in the broth and half of the beans. Add in the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Bring to a boil with the heat on high. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes. Check the seasoning and add a little salt, if needed, and some freshly ground black pepper, if you like.
Blend the beans: Blend the other half of the beans in a blender. If it's hard to blend, add a little bit of broth. You could also mash them in a bowl with a fork or a potato masher.
Cook the pasta: in a separate medium sized pot in boiling and salted water until al dente. Drain, drizzle on olive oil and reserve in a bowl with a little olive oil drizzled on it until the soup is ready.
Combine the creamed beans: If you blended some of the soup, add it back to the pot and stir to combine. Add more broth if it's too thick and simmer to heat it before serving.
Serve: Ladle into soup bowls and drizzle a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil before serving. If you like, sprinkle on some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and crushed red pepper flakes. ENJOY!

Video

Notes

Beans: In the classic Pasta e Fagioli recipe, borlotti beans are the traditional choice, yet cannellini beans serve as a readily available and equally delicious alternative for the "fagioli" component. To achieve a richer, thicker consistency in our version, you could use an immersion blender. However, for those who prefer a more brothy texture, forgoing the blender and gently mashing the beans against the pot's side with the flat end of a wooden spoon is a simple, effective technique. Or remove a portion and blend in a blender, like we did.
Pasta: For pasta fazool, feel free to choose from a variety of small pasta shapes according to what you have on hand or prefer. While we're opting for ditalini (tubetti) in our recipe, small shells, farfalline, elbows, or even broken pieces of spaghetti can work just as well. No matter which pasta you select, it will still be comforting.
Cheese: It's up to you if you would like to grate on some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for serving. You could also use Pecorino instead of Parmigiano.
Vegan/vegetarian: Leave out the pancetta and you'll have a vegan/vegetarian pasta e fagioli. As for the rosemary, if you don’t like it you can omit it entirely.
Herbs: I like to add fresh rosemary that I have in my herb garden. If you do not have any on hand, you could leave it out.
Make ahead: This is a great soup recipe to make ahead, especially for meal prep. I highly recommend to cook the pasta separately. It does get mushy when it's stored with the soup.

Nutrition