Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Pasta e Fagioli soup is one of my absolute favorite Italian comfort foods. Yes – pizza, and pasta and pastina are all amazing too but pasta fagioli is ever so slightly healthier than the other options and tastes just as good. The great thing about it is that it is easy to make, comes together quickly, and makes a very flavorful meal!

When Jared and I lived in New Jersey, we used to get the best pasta fagioli from a restaurant there. It was so creamy and delicious and you couldn’t help but want to eat the whole thing on your own. Now that we have moved to Brooklyn, I make that soup at home – and now, so can you!

This is really good served with some crusty bread to dip in or, my personal preference, some buttery crackers. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Pasta e fagioli soup is a rich and comforting authentic Italian soup made with cannellini beans, tomato, and small pasta. Best served topped with cheese!

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 15- oz cans cannellini beans
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 4 oz pancetta diced
• 2 sprigs rosemary finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups of beef broth
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups small pasta like shells, macaroni, etc, uncooked
• Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan for serving
• Red pepper flakes optional, for serving

Instructions

• In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Add onion, celery, carrots and pancetta and sauté until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent - about 5 minutes
• Add the garlic and rosemary, and sauté 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Remove from heat and add TWO of the cans of cannellini beans, liquids included.
• If you have a hand-held immersion blender, use it to puree the mixture until smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Then transfer the pureed mixture back into the soup pot. 
• Drain the remaining can of cannellini beans.
• Return the pot to the stove. Add the drained cannellini beans, beef broth, chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, salt, and bay leaves.
• Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
• Remove the cover and add the pasta.
• Cook over medium heat until the pasta is cooked al dente (according to box instructions). The soup will thicken, as a result of the starch from the pasta. You want it to be thick (like a bisque would be), but if it gets too thick, add some more chicken broth. 
• Remove the bay leaves.
• Serve and top with grated cheese and/or some red pepper flakes.

Notes

Note: This soup will continue to thicken as it sits. So if you have leftovers, top if off with a dash of chicken broth before reheating. It will be the perfect consistency!