When it’s cold and you’re craving soup, a bowl of pasta e fagioli is the only way to go. Filled with pasta, beans and greens, this hearty tomato-based soup will warm you up in no time!
We’ve all got our own lists of comfort food, but this soup should rank high for anyone who loves pasta, beans and tomatoes. Pasta e fagioli, which literally translates to pasta and beans, is a warming and nourishing bowl of exactly that: pasta and beans swimming in a rich, parmesan-spiked, tomato-based broth.
This soupy stew, a cousin to minestrone, also does that magical thing a lot of Italian dishes do, where the flavours intensify and are better the next day – provided you don’t mix in the pasta. But more on that later.
At its heart, pasta e fagioli is a broth with pasta and beans; how you get there is up to you.
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Origins of Pasta e Fagioli
Originally considered a peasant dish, the origins and ingredients for pasta e fagioli are highly contested.
There is some form of pasta e fagioli in every region across Italy. In some areas, like Veneto, the broth is layered with off cuts of pork, leftover from the annual ritual of the slaughter of the pigs. The central regions take a portion of beans and blend it with some broth, before pouring it back in for a thicker soup.
Some recipes call for the pasta to be cooked in the broth, letting the starch thicken the soup. Others cook the pasta separately to prevent this thickening from happening at all. And yet others make a pasta e fagioli so thick, it’s served on plates instead of bowls.
You would think there would at least be some consensus on which pasta to use, but even this topic is heavily argued and disputed. Some use short pasta like ditalini, whereas others use cut up pieces of maltagliati, a form of tagliatelle. Another popular type of pasta used is pasta mista, a pasta made up of the odds and ends of different types of leftover pasta shapes.
Ingredients for Pasta e Fagioli
Making pasta e fagioli is almost like a choose your own adventure story. Don’t like borlotti beans? Use cannellini beans. Do you use dried beans and soak them overnight or use canned beans for a faster dinner? Do you use a range of aromatics or just onion? Do you prefer a thinner consistency or a thicker, blended soup? Do you add the tomato, or do you want a simple broth instead to better taste the pasta and beans?
My version of pasta e fagioli is vegetarian, soupier, very tomato-y, and heavy on both the pasta and beans. I know it looks like a long list of ingredients, but the preparation is mostly hands-off, so don’t be intimidated.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Soffritto. Sofrito, mirepoix, holy trinity; whatever variation you want to use, a deep and flavourful broth has to start with a flavour base to build from and temper the aromatics. You can just use a chopped-up onion, or you can use a blend of leek, shallot and carrot gently softened in some olive oil. (Please note that I think celery is the most disgusting vegetable out there and will not use it anything. You, though, are welcome to add a stick of celery to your soffritto if that rocks your boat.)
- Aromatics. If the soffritto is the base, the aromatics are the body, lifting the broth from being one-note. Here I’ve used garlic, bay leaves, fresh thyme, marjoram and oregano (though you can use one or the other, marjoram is more floral) and chilli flakes, which you can omit. Once fragrant, spoon in some tomato paste for a punchier tomato flavour. I also like to add a parmesan rind, when I have it.
- The beans. It’s up to you whether you’d like to use dried beans and soak them overnight or use canned beans for a faster meal. Borlotti and cannellini are most commonly used, but I used canned four-bean mix because that’s what I had in the pantry and I like it! If you do soak dried beans, keep the water for soup and for cooking the pasta. If you like a thicker soup, blend a quarter of the beans with some stock and stir it back into the soup.
- The vegetables. Beans, pasta and a few leaves of covolo nero (or silverbeet) are the stars here. If you’re looking for more veggies, make minestrone instead.
- The pasta. I used macaroni because with the current supply issues here, that was the smallest pasta I could get. But ditalini, cavatelli, anelli and mini shells will all work well. Just DON’T use orzo or you’ll end up with no broth at all. You can absolutely cook the pasta in the soup, and have the starch released by the pasta thicken up the soup. BUT, pasta continues to expand when left in liquid, so any leftovers can be quite unpleasant to eat. I recommend dirtying an extra pot and cooking the pasta separately, then it’s fresh and al dente no matter when you eat the soup.
- Garnishes. A fine chiffonade of basil and freshly grated parmesan are almost essential and not garnishes at all. Extra chilli flakes, a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar are optional, but highly recommended.
A lightly dressed green salad and lots of crusty bread is all you need to make pasta e fagioli into a meal.
Buon appetito!
Looking for more soups to beat the chilly weather? Try these:
- Parmesan Broth Minestrone with Pistou
- Roasted Tomato, Coriander and Noodle Soup
- Don’t forget the bread! Cheese and Chilli Oil Schiacciata (Tuscan Flatbread)
If you make this Pasta e Fagioli, please be sure to leave a comment and let me know. What beans and pasta did you use? Did you blend a portion of the soup to make it thicker? Or tag me over on Instagram, I love seeing what you guys are making from the blog!
Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, thinly sliced into half-moon rounds
- 1 shallot, finely chopped (*or skip the shallot and leek and use a large brown onion)
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
- 6 springs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste, heaped
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 400 g can chopped tomatoes
- 2×400 g cans of beans, cannellini, four bean mix, chickpeas, butter beans, kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 covolo nero or silverbeet leaves, stalks removed and thinly sliced
- 1 Parmesan rind, optional but recommended
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup dried small pasta, small shell, ditalini, elbow, macaroni, cavatelli
Garnishes
- Fresh thinly sliced basil
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Olive oil drizzle
- Red wine vinegar
- Chilli flakes
- Crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Cook the leek, shallot and carrots, slowly and stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes until starting to soften but not coloured.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 leek, 1 shallot, 2 carrots
- Stir in all the aromatics: the garlic, chilli flakes, if using, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram and oregano. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in and cook off the tomato paste, for 3-4 minutes.2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon chilli flakes, 2 bay leaves, 6 springs fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add the stock, water*, chopped tomatoes, beans, covolo nero and parmesan rind. Stir and bring to a simmer, stirring every now and then, for about 20 minutes or until the covol nero is tender and the broth is a deep and rich red colour.4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, 2 cups water, 400 g can chopped tomatoes, 2×400 g cans of beans, 3 covolo nero or silverbeet leaves, 1 Parmesan rind
- In a separate small pot, cook the pasta as per the packet directions. Drain and divide among the bowls.1 cup dried small pasta
- When the soup is ready and piping hot, season with salt and pepper, remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind, and add ladleful’s to the bowls over the pasta. Top with garnishes like basil, freshly grated parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar. Buon appetito!½ teaspoon salt, Pepper to taste, Fresh thinly sliced basil, Freshly grated parmesan, Olive oil drizzle, Red wine vinegar, Chilli flakes, Crusty bread
