Pasta Fagioli is an Italian Bean soup that uses cannellini beans, carrots, celery and onions for its flavor. There are many different variations of this soup and many use bacon or pancetta to flavor the broth. I like the traditional way of adding flavor (with the garlic, carrots, and celery) and omitting the bacon because really, it tastes so amazing without it. This recipe is easy to make and so delicious. You can stock most of the ingredients for this recipe in your pantry so it is always a quick go-to meal when you are in a hurry but still want something that is delicious and healthy. I make this in Fall, Winter, and Spring for family and guests and everyone loves it.
Pasta e Fagioli
A hearty and delicious Italian soup
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1- 15 oz can of kidney beans for the puree, drained and rinsed
- 2- 15 oz cans of cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1- 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 5 medium sized carrots diced
- 2 celery spears diced
- 3 cloves of garlic finely diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- a pinch of red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated for serving
- 1 Parmesan rind if you save the rinds of your Parmesan that you save, then throw that into the soup. If you don't, then you can cut the rind off of the block of Parmesan you are using or you can just omit this step.
- 1/2 box of ditalini pasta 1/2 lb
- olive oil for sauteeing
- 1 32 oz box of good quality chicken stock or if you have homemade even better
Instructions
- Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat.
- Once pot is heated add onions, garlic, celery, carrots and red pepper flakes and saute for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent and carrots and celery are slightly softened.
- While the veggies are sauteeing, add your red kidney beans that have been drained and rinsed to a food processor (or blender) with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil and puree until it is smooth. You may need to add water if the paste is too thick and not blending well. When done set aside.
- Now, add your chicken stock to the pot of sauteeing vegetables along with your pureed kidney beans and mix well. Add the rinsed cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, parmesan rind (if you have one to add) and salt and pepper to taste.
- Let simmer for about 30 minutes.
- In the meantime in another pot boil some water for your ditalini pasta. Cook the pasta per the box instructions.
- When the pasta is done strain it and add it to a bowl (not the soup) and add 1 tbsp of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking. Set aside NOTE: If you add the pasta to the soup it will absorb all the soup liquid and expand and eventually you'll be left with no broth.
- To serve, place a heaping spoonful of pasta in a soup bowl then add your Fagioli soup over top. Add a 1/4 of your freshly grated Parmesan cheese to each bowl. Discard the Parmesan rind and bay leaf before serving.
- Serve with some crusty garlic bread and lots of freshly grated black pepper!
- Enjoy!!
