Pasta Fagioli is a hearty soup made with cooked pasta, creamy beans, in a vegetable broth and tomato sauce base. Add any veggies you like, and you’ll have a healthy and delicious way to warm up during the cold months.
What Is Pasta Fagioli?
This is a rich, hearty Italian soup (a classic, if you will) made with al dente pasta and beans in a tomato-based sauce. It’s filled with plant-based protein, plus a little Italian sausage to add even more flavor.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
You will love this pasta e fagioli soup for its comforting, homey vibes. It’s modeled after the traditional Italian soup found in a restaurant. The ingredients are simple with small, tender pasta, beans, and spicy red pepper flakes, but they have a big flavor payoff.
Make this for a simple dinner and store the leftovers for a tasty and healthy lunch the next day.
Key Ingredients
The stars of this pasta e fagioli recipe are the ditalini pasta, which is the tiny pasta in a circle shape, and cannellini beans. If you do not have ditalini pasta, any small pasta like elbow macaroni or small shells will work as well.
We use white cannellini beans in this recipe, but other canned beans, like great northern beans or even red kidney beans, can be added to this ultimate comfort food recipe.
Another essential part of this pasta-filled soup is the canned tomatoes. Do not drain the tomatoes; add everything from the can straight to the soup!
How to Make Pasta Fagioli
- Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and celery, and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring.
- Add the ground sausage and cook, breaking down the lumps with a spatula, then add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add in vegetable stock, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the pasta, and let it simmer until al dente.
- Add drained beans and spinach, cooking until wilted.
- Remove the saucepot from the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.
- Serve garnished with fresh parsley or desired fresh herbs
Substitutions and Variations
- This recipe can be made with or without meat.
- Add any dried herb to the vegetable broth. A bay leaf or dried basil will work great.
- Add a bit of pancetta for a deeper flavor profile.
- You can add in more veggies, like carrots or zucchini. It’s a great recipe for cleaning out your veggie drawer.
- You can add pieces of Parmesan cheese rind to the soup. It will give more flavor.
- Add a little fresh rosemary for a more authentic, rustic feel.
- Chicken broth can replace the vegetable stock if necessary.
Storing Tips
Let the soup cool down to room temperature and pour it into an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, place the soup into a slow cooker on low and let it heat up again during the day or until heated through. You can also reheat it over the stove on low heat.
Explore More Delicious Soup Recipes
Explore our collection of soup recipes made in the stovetop, slow cooker or Instant Pot. For more soup inspiration, check out our full list of soups.
- Nacho Grande Soup
- New England Clam Chowder
- Pasta e Fagioli
- Potato Soup
- Ravioli Lasagna Soup
- Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Tomato Macaroni Soup
- Tuscan White Bean Soup
- Wisconsin Bacon and Potato Cheese Soup
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
Pasta Fagioli Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 12 oz. Italian ground sausage
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup can chopped tomatoes
- 6 oz. ditalini pasta
- 15 oz. can cannellini beans, 1 can, rinsed, drained
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Equipment
Instructions
Cook the sausage:
- Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and celery, and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring.
- Add the ground sausage and cook, breaking down the lumps, until the sausage is cooked through.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the liquid:
- Pour in vegetable stock and scrape any browned bits. Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add pasta:
- Add pasta: Stir in the pasta, reduce heat, and simmer until al dente or according to package directions. Add drained beans and spinach.
- Cook for 3 minutes.
Add the cheese.
- Remove the stockpot from the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.
Serve:
- Serve warm, garnished with chopped parsley or desired fresh herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
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