Pasta e fagioli is a hearty Italian soup made with pasta, beans, and veggies. Served with crusty bread, it is vegetarian consolation meals at its greatest.
Pasta e fagioli, typically shortened to pasta fagioli (or pasta fazool in the event you’re a Sopranos fan), is a basic Italian soup. Its title actually interprets to “pasta and beans,” and it consists of tiny pasta, creamy beans, and tender greens in a aromatic tomato broth.
Right here within the US, many individuals know pasta e fagioli from the menu at Olive Backyard, however I’m right here to let you know that you just HAVE to strive making this dish at dwelling. It comes collectively in a single pot. The elements are largely pantry staples. AND the mix of pasta, beans, and veggies makes it a satisfying standalone meal.
If you happen to’re on the lookout for easy, inexpensive, and scrumptious dinners so as to add to your rotation, pasta e fagioli can’t be beat. I’m sharing my go-to recipe beneath. I hope you find it irresistible as a lot as I do!
Pasta e Fagioli Recipe Elements
Right here’s what it is advisable to make this pasta fagioli recipe:
- Pasta, in fact! Ditalini is my prime choose. Can’t discover it? Little elbow macaroni noodles or one other small pasta form would work nicely too.
- Beans – In Italy, pasta e fagioli is historically made with contemporary cranberry beans. Nevertheless, contemporary shell beans are exhausting to seek out the place I stay, so I name for canned cannellini beans as a substitute. They’re nonetheless scrumptious!
- Additional-virgin olive oil – For richness.
- Onion, garlic, carrots, and fennel – These fragrant veggies create the soup’s flavorful base. I LOVE the fennel’s anise-like taste on this soup, however in the event you can’t discover it, or in the event you’re not a fennel fan, celery is a good different!
- Tomato paste – It thickens the broth and deepens the tomato taste.
- Recent rosemary – For cozy, piney taste. In a pinch, substitute dried rosemary, or use one other dried herb like dried oregano or basil.
- Diced tomatoes – They add candy, tangy taste to the broth.
- Vegetable broth – Use store-bought, or make your personal.
- A Parmesan rind – Yep, you may simply chop the rind off a block of Parmesan cheese! If you happen to’re vegetarian, make sure to search for a model made with vegetarian enzymes (BelGioioso makes an ideal one). If you happen to’re vegan, be at liberty to skip it.
- Kale or Swiss chard – It’s not solely conventional in pasta e fagioli, however I really like ending a pot of soup with a lot of leafy greens!
- Pink pepper flakes – They add a kick of warmth.
- And salt and pepper – To make all of the flavors pop!
Discover the entire recipe with measurements beneath.
How one can Make Pasta e Fagioli
This hearty soup recipe is so easy to make!
First, sauté the veggies. Warmth the olive oil in a big soup pot or Dutch oven over medium warmth, and add the onion, carrots, and fennel. You need the veggies to get very mushy. Cook dinner, stirring sometimes, for 10 to fifteen minutes.
Stir within the garlic, tomato paste, and rosemary, and prepare dinner for one more minute.
Subsequent, simmer the soup. Add the tomatoes, beans, broth, and Parmesan rind to the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes to permit the flavors to meld.
Then, stir within the pasta. Cook dinner for one more 10 minutes or so, till the pasta is al dente.
Lastly, add the kale and pink pepper flakes. Cook dinner till the kale wilts. Season to style and serve!
Pasta e Fagioli Serving Solutions
While you’re able to eat, ladle the pasta e fagioli soup into bowls, and prime it with extra pink pepper flakes, a sprinkle of parsley, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, in the event you like.
The soup is a satisfying meal by itself, however you may’t go incorrect with a aspect of crusty bread for sopping up the broth. It pairs nicely with garlic bread and home made focaccia too.
For a bigger meal, serve the soup with a aspect salad. A easy inexperienced salad, Caesar salad, or Italian chopped salad could be scrumptious.
How one can Retailer
If you happen to put together the soup as written, the leftovers will maintain nicely in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as two days. However heads up: the pasta soaks up an increasing number of of the broth the longer it sits within the soup.
To meal prep: If you happen to plan to take pleasure in this soup over a number of days, it’s possible you’ll wish to pass over the pasta whenever you first make it. As an alternative, prepare dinner the pasta individually and add it to the soup simply earlier than serving. While you eat, the noodles will nonetheless have an al dente chunk and the soup will nonetheless be brothy.
To freeze: I additionally suggest making ready the pasta individually if you wish to freeze the soup. With out the pasta, it freezes nicely for as much as 3 months. Boil the pasta individually and add it whenever you reheat the soup.
Extra Favourite Soup Recipes
If you happen to love this recipe, strive one in all these basic soups subsequent:
Pasta e Fagioli
Serves 4 to six
Pasta e fagioli, typically shortened to pasta fagioli, is a basic Italian soup made with pasta and beans. My recipe is a comforting, scrumptious vegetarian dinner! Serve it with crusty bread for sopping up the flavorful broth.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 small fennel bulb or 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus extra to style
- Freshly floor black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon chopped contemporary rosemary
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- Parmesan rind, optionally available
- 1 cup ditalini pasta, or different small pasta
- 2 massive kale or Swiss chard leaves, stemmed and torn (about 6 cups)
- Pinches of pink pepper flakes
Forestall your display from going darkish
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Warmth the olive oil in a big pot or Dutch oven over medium warmth. Add the onion, fennel, carrots, salt, and several other grinds of pepper and prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, for 10 to fifteen minutes, or till very mushy.
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Add the garlic, tomato paste, and rosemary and prepare dinner, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the beans, broth, and Parmesan rind, if utilizing. Simmer for 20 minutes.
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Add the pasta and simmer for 10 extra minutes, or till al dente. Stir within the kale and pink pepper flakes and prepare dinner till the kale is wilted. Season to style and serve.