This Pasta e Fagioli Soup Recipe aka Pasta Fazool is a hearty Italian stew made from pasta and beans. It is a complete meal made in just one pot and is such a delicious recipe.
My mom has been making her pasta fazool recipe for my family since I was a kid and I just can’t get enough of it. It tastes so good, the ingredients are cheap, and it is so easy to make. You can make everything in one pot so there is minimal cleanup.
And – it’s a soup recipe that my husband willingly eats without saying, “Soup is for sick people.”
For a variation on how to make this recipe using your Instant Pot, check out my Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli recipe. It isn’t necessarily that much faster, but you can get everything cooking and do other things around the house while the Instant Pot does all the work.
Table of Contents
Pasta e Fagioli Soup Ingredients
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Bacon (or Diced Pancetta)
- Minced Fresh Garlic, Diced Celery, and Diced Onion
- Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Dried Oregano, and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Canned Diced Tomatoes (and the juice)
- Ditalini Pasta
- Canned Cannellini Beans, White Kidney Beans, or Great White Northern Beans
- Chicken Broth or Stock, Turkey Stock, or Vegetable Broth
- Optional: Parmesan Cheese Rind, Italian Sausage
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make this pasta fagioli recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to Make Pasta e Fagioli
- If you are going to add Italian sausage, either cook it in a separate skillet, then set it off to the side to drain while you cook your soup – or cook it in the pot before cooking the soup and use the meaty bits on the bottom of your Dutch Oven to flavor the broth.
- Then heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. (Picture 1) While the oil is heating, dice up the bacon, celery, onions, and garlic.
- Once the oil is hot, add the diced bacon. (Picture 2) Cook until bacon is about 75% cooked. Then add celery and onions. (Picture 3-5)
- When the onions are translucent and soft, add all of the spices – salt, pepper, oregano, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. (Picture 6-7)
- Cook for a few minutes, until the garlic is fragrant, then add the diced tomatoes and chicken broth.
- Bring this to a boil. (Pictures 8-10) If desired, you can also add a small can of tomato sauce for a richer tomato flavor.
- Once the broth is boiling, add the pasta. (Pictures 11-12) Cook the pasta for 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Make sure to stir this pretty regularly throughout the cooking process to make sure that the pasta does not get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- If you want to add a little more flavor, you can add the rind of a block of parmesan cheese. (I save the parmesan rinds in the freezer when we finish up a block.) (Picture 13)
- Once the pasta is tender, add the cannellini beans (and Italian sausage if you are using it.) (Picture 14) Simmer the soup for 5-10 more minutes, until the beans are nice and soft. If desired, you can smash up some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the soup. (Picture 15)
Remove from heat and serve with grated parmesan cheese on top.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with extra salt and pepper and huge slivers of shaved parmesan on top. Yum!
- We like to serve this soup with a hearty loaf of bread to dunk in the broth. You can also serve it in a homemade bread bowl!
Recipe Variations
- We like to add cooked crumbled Italian sausage and spinach to our soup. Just add the spinach toward the end so it doesn’t turn to mush. You can also add kale, escarole, or other leafy greens that your family likes.
- If you don’t like Italian sausage, you can also add cooked ground beef or ground turkey. The addition of meat will make it a really hearty soup!
- If you don’t have ditalini, you can use another small pasta shape.
- Add extra canned beans like kidney beans.
- Add a diced carrot with the celery and onion to get in some more veggies.
- If desired, you can also add a small can of tomato sauce for a richer tomato flavor. (Not jarred spaghetti sauce, pureed tomato sauce in a can.)
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I have a separate recipe for Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli.
Absolutely! Just sub out the chicken broth for vegetable broth and don’t add the bacon or Italian sausage.
Some Pasta e Fagioli recipes have red kidney beans in them (I think Olive Garden Copycat Recipes) so you can add those as well. You can also add spinach, kale, or escarole when the soup is almost finished – the hot broth will wilt the spinach really quickly. I’ve also added an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce and diced carrots.
How to Store It
Once cooled, store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last 5-7 days.
You can also freeze your leftovers for several months.
Helpful Tips
- Make sure to stir the soup every few minutes while the pasta is cooking – it will prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- If you have a large group to serve, this recipe is really easy to double or triple and make into a really big batch.
- Add a parmesan rind to the broth once it comes to a boil. It will give the soup an awesome cheesy flavor.
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Mom’s One Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Italian Pasta and Beans)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 slices bacon diced
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice Use one large can or two 14.5 oz cans.
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 14.5 oz can cannellini beans
- 1 parmesan cheese rind optional, but super yummy
Optional
- 1 pound Italian sausage
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. While the oil is heating, dice up the bacon, celery, onions, and garlic.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Once the oil is hot, add the diced bacon. Cook until the bacon is about 75% cooked. Then add celery and onions.4 slices bacon, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery
- When the onions are translucent and soft, add all of the spices – salt, pepper, oregano, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes.3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Cook for a few minutes, until garlic is fragrant, then add diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring this to a boil.1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice, 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- If you are going to add Italian sausage, begin cooking that now in a skillet. Once it is fully cooked, set it off to the side to drain on a towel while you finish cooking your soup.1 pound Italian sausage
- Once the broth is boiling, add the ditalini pasta. Cook the pasta for 10 – 15 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Make sure to stir this pretty regularly throughout the cooking process to ensure that the pasta does not get stuck to the bottom of the pot. If you want to add a little more flavor, you can add the rind of a block of parmesan cheese. (I save the parmesan rinds in the freezer when we finish up a block.)1 cup ditalini pasta, 1 parmesan cheese rind
- Once the pasta is tender, add the cannellini beans (and Italian sausage if you're using it.) Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the beans are nice and soft.1 14.5 oz can cannellini beans, 1 pound Italian sausage
- Remove from heat and serve with grated parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
Storage
Once cooled, store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last 5-7 days. You can freeze it for 3 months. Serve with fresh bread or a homemade bread bowl.Special Equipment Needeed
- a large pot
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
