Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli is a quick and easy way to make my mom’s pasta and beans recipe. Beans, tomatoes, and Italian sausage cook together in the Instant Pot for easy cleanup and tons of flavor.
This recipe is similar to Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli, but is a little more of a classic, family recipe. I like this recipe a lot better – maybe because it reminds me of my childhood, but also because it is delicious. The best part is, it is using ingredients that we always have on hand. (If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I have a stovetop recipe as well!)
Table of Contents
🥘 Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Italian sausage
- Diced bacon or diced pancetta
- Diced celery
- Diced onion
- Minced garlic
- Spices – Red Pepper Flakes, Dried Oregano, Kosher Salt, and Ground Black Pepper
- Canned Diced Tomatoes with their juice
- Chicken Broth
- Ditalini Pasta
- Canned Cannellini Beans or Small White Kidney Beans – I have also used Great White Northern beans in my pasta e fagioli and they are great! (You can also add Red Kidney Beans)
- Optional but delicious: Add a Parmesan Cheese Rind
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Share with friends🥣 How to Make Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli or “pasta fazool” as my mom likes to call it, is really easy to make in an Instant Pot.
First, dice up your bacon, celery, onions, and garlic. If you are using Italian sausage, either slice it or crumble it. I like to use crumbled sausage instead of slices so we remove it from the casing.
Next, set your Instant Pot to the sauté function. Once it is hot (it won’t take long) add half of your olive oil and swirl it around to coat the whole bottom of your Instant Pot. (Picture 1)
Now, cook your Italian sausage to about 80/90%, then remove it from the pot and drain the grease. (Pictures 2 – 4)
After removing the sausage, add the remainder of your olive oil. (Picture 5)
Next, add your bacon and cook until it is slightly crispy. (Picture 7) Then add your diced onion and celery. Cook until the onion is translucent. (Pictures 8 – 9)
Now, add your garlic and spices and mix everything together. (Picture 10)
Next, add your chicken broth, diced tomatoes with their juice, ditalini pasta, cannellini beans, Italian sausage, and parmesan cheese rind if you are using one. Mix everything together. (Pictures 11 – 17)
Finally, put the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure the vent is closed. Turn the Instant Pot saute mode off and switch it to “Manual Mode” at high pressure for 4 minutes. (Pictures 18 – 19)
It will take about 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. It will then count down 4 minutes. When the 4 minutes is up, turn the Instant Pot off and let it release naturally for 5 minutes. Then, quick release the remaining pressure. (I use a 6 quart Instant Pot and this amount of liquid has never been a problem as far as exploding with a quick release. I wouldn’t quick release with a 3 quart Instant Pot.) Once all the pressure is released, open the lid. Your soup will be done! (Picture 20)
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
To make vegetarian pasta e fagioli, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and leave out the bacon and sausage. You can also double the beans to get more protein in your soup.
You can add spinach or escarole – add it to the soup after you cook it and let it sit for a few minutes. The hot broth will wilt the greens.
You can also add more beans – red kidney beans are an excellent addition.
A natural release means that you turn the Instant Pot off and let it cool down to release pressure. A quick release means that you open the vent on the top and let the pressure (steam) out. If you do a quick release, do not stand over your Instant Pot or position it under a cabinet or shelf.
🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses
Serve your pasta e fagioli immediately with sprinkled parmesan on top. It is also really good with a crispy piece of bread to dunk in the yummy broth!
🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating
Once cooled, store your pasta e fagioli in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will be good for about 5 – 7 days.
You can also freeze pasta e fagioli, but the texture of the pasta will be a little *off* when defrosted. If you are planning on freezing your leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it when serving. (Use 1 cup less chicken broth and only cook for 3 minutes if you are cooking the pasta separately.)
✏️ Helpful Tips
- I use a 6 quart Instant Pot to make this recipe. You can also make this using an 8 quart Instant Pot. You can make this in a 3 quart Instant Pot, but cook for only 3 minutes and do not quick release.
- This recipe is made infinitely more delicious with the addition of a parmesan cheese rind. It makes it saltier, cheesier, and more delicious.
- Eat this for lunch the day after you make it. The pasta in the starchy broth gets thicker overnight and will be really yummy.
🍲 Other Great Instant Pot Recipes
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- 4 slices bacon diced, you can also use pancetta
- 1 onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes with juice use one large can or two 14.5 oz cans.
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 14.5 oz can cannellini beans
- 1 parmesan cheese rind optional, but delicious
Instructions
- First, dice up your bacon, celery, onions, and garlic. If you are using Italian sausage, either slice it or crumble it. I like to use crumbled sausage instead of slices so we remove it from the casing.
- Next, set your Instant Pot to the sauté function. Once it is hot (it won't take long), add half of the olive oil (1 tbsp) and swirl it around to coat the whole bottom of your Instant Pot.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Now, cook the Italian sausage to about 80/90%, then remove it from the pot and drain the grease.½ pound Italian sausage
- After removing the sausage, add the remainder of the olive oil (1 tbsp).2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Next, add the bacon and cook until it is slightly crispy.4 slices bacon
- Then add the diced onion and celery. Cook until the onion is translucent.1 onion, 2 stalks celery
- Now, add the garlic and spices and mix everything together.3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Next, add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, ditalini pasta, cannellini beans, cooked Italian sausage, and parmesan cheese rind if you are using one. Mix everything together.1 28oz can diced tomatoes with juice, 3 cups chicken broth, 1 cup ditalini pasta, 1 14.5 oz can cannellini beans, 1 parmesan cheese rind
- Finally, put the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure the vent is closed. Turn the Instant Pot saute mode off and switch it to "Manual Mode" at high pressure for 4 minutes.
- It will take about 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. It will then count down 4 minutes. When the 4 minutes is up, turn the Instant Pot off and let it release naturally for 5 minutes. Then, quick release the remaining pressure. (I use a 6 quart Instant Pot and this amount of liquid has never been a problem as far as exploding with a quick release. I wouldn't quick release with a 3 quart Instant Pot.)
- Once all the pressure is released, open the lid. Your soup will be done!
Notes
- I use a 6 quart Instant Pot to make this recipe. You can also make this using an 8 quart Instant Pot. You can make this in a 3 quart Instant Pot, but cook for only 3 minutes and do not quick release.
- This recipe is made infinitely more delicious with the addition of a parmesan cheese rind. It makes it saltier, cheesier, and more delicious.
- Eat this for lunch the day after you make it. The pasta in the starchy broth gets thicker overnight and will be really yummy.
- Once cooled, store your pasta e fagioli in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will be good for about 5 – 7 days.
- You can also freeze pasta e fagioli, but the texture of the pasta will be a little *off* when defrosted. If you are planning on freezing your leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it when serving. (Use 1 cup less chicken broth and only cook for 3 minutes if you are cooking the pasta separately.)
- What else can you add to pasta e fagioli?
- You can add spinach or escarole – add it to the soup after you cook it and let it sit for a few minutes. The hot broth will wilt the greens.
- You can also add more beans – red kidney beans are an excellent addition.
- How do you make vegetarian or vegan pasta e fagioli?
- To make vegetarian pasta e fagioli, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and leave out the bacon and sausage. You can also double the beans to get more protein in your soup.
Special Equipment Needeed
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
