Authentic Pasta Fagioli Recipe

This wonderful, classic and authentic Pasta Fagioli Recipe is rustic, hearty Italian Food that tastes amazing and is sort of a cross between soup and a stew. Just delicious!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Yay for classic, hearty soup recipes! This one is minestrone-like, but thicker like a stew, and makes for a really delicious meal.

This traditional Authentic Pasta Fagioli (sometimes called Pasta Fazool or traditional Pasta e Fagioli) is all about the pasta and beans, and it's really worth making. Here's why:

• This is a classic Italian soup that's really simple and delicious, like that little Italian Restaurant down the street.

• It's seriously tasty & filling and it makes eight generous servings - enough for the whole family, plus, many of the ingredients are pantry items.

• The ingredient list is a little long, but it's quick & easy to make.

• While you could make your own chicken stock, we'll use store-bought broth instead.

• Great flavors here! Beans and pasta and garlic and tomatoes. This is comfort food at its finest.

For the full recipe and list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll to the recipe card below.

Here are the main ingredients:

• Bacon: For extra flavor.

• Chicken broth: For richness.

• Tomatoes: A large can or box, chopped to make a brothy tomato sauce.

• Beans: Cannellini beans, creamy and perfect.

• Celery: A real flavor booster.

• Garlic: Fresh garlic is best in this recipe.

• Onion: A building block of flavor.

• Pasta: Almost any small shells will do.

• Parmesan Rind: Hang onto these! They add so much flavor to soup!

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: To cook the onions in, and for garnish.

• Seasonings: Oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper.

• Anchovy: Optional, but authentic. If you're squeamish, try a tablespoon of mellow miso instead.

• Fresh Parsley: Really brightens up the flavors here.

After you heat the olive oil in a large pot (dutch oven), then:

1. Add the bacon until it cooks a bit and starts to brown.

2. Next, add in the celery and onion, cook until soft.

3. Then add the garlic, oregano, pepper flakes and anchovies (if using) or miso.

Pro Tip! Stir from the bottom of the pot with a wooden or silicone spoon to grab up all the tasty bits..this is where the flavor is.

A Parmesan rind adds so much flavor to this Authentic Pasta Fagioli Recipe.

4. Stir in the tomatoes, the beans and the Parmesan rind, let this simmer for a few minutes.

5. Next, add in the chicken broth and pasta and continue to cook until the pasta is al dente (still a bit firm when you bite into it.)

6. Stir in some of the chopped fresh parsley.

7. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with more Parmesan cheese, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil and serve!

Tips and Possible Variations

There's some versatility to this soup, and here's some suggestions:

• Use ditalini, tubetti or conchigliette dry pasta. I used ditalini, which is a tube-like small pasta that's easy to find and used in recipes like pasta salad.

• Try pancetta instead of bacon if you'd like.

• Use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock or broth if you prefer.

• Use pinto beans, cranberry beans or Borlotti beans instead of cannellini if you'd like.

• You can use dry beans too, if you have time to cook them in advance.

• It's not traditional, but you could add sliced, cooked Italian sausage to the top of this soup.

• This recipe is thick, rustic and stew-like, so when you re-heat it, you'll need to add a little water or chicken broth. Reheat it in a saucepan over medium heat, bringing it to a gentle simmer until heated through.

This Authentic Pasta Fagioli recipe is best served with plenty of extra parsley and Parmesan cheese on the side.

Can I make this recipe in advance?

You can, but keep in mind this soup is best served immediately. The pasta and beans will expand a bit and thicken the soup as it cools, so if you do reheat it, add a bit more broth or water to thin it out.

What if I don't want to use anchovy?

I get it. Me neither. However, you can get some of that salty, umami flavor from mellow miso paste, and it's a perfect substitute here.

What type of pasta is best for authentic pasta fagioli?

This is something you can be flexible with, but small pasta shapes like ditalini, small shells, elbow or tubetti work best, cooked to al dente as the pasta will continue to cook in the hot liquid of the soup.

Authentic Pasta Fagioli Recipe

This pasta and bean soup recipe is easy, tasty and delicious!

Course: Soup

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Olive Oil Plus extra for serving

• ▢ 3 slices Bacon, chopped fine

• ▢ 1 medium Onion, chopped finely

• ▢ 1 rib Celery, chopped finely

• ▢ 4 cloves Garlic, minced or crushed

• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

• ▢ 3 Anchovy Filets, or 2 tablespoons Mellow White Miso Paste

• ▢ 1 28 ounce can Chopped (diced) Tomatoes

• ▢ 1 Parmesan Cheese rind Or use a 2 inch cube of Parmesan Cheese

• ▢ 2 15-ounce cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• ▢ 3 ½ cups Low-sodium chicken broth

• ▢ 2½ cups Water

• ▢ 1 teaspoon Salt

• ▢ 1 cup Small Pasta, like ditalini, orzo, or tubettini

• ▢ ¼ cup Italian Parsley, chopped finely

• ▢ 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

Instructions

• In a large soup pot (dutch oven) add the olive oil and the bacon pieces and cook until it begins to brown, stirring it occasionally, Add the onions, celery and continue to cook until they're soft, another 5 minutes or so.

  Add in the garlic, oregano, pepper flakes and anchovy or miso (use one or the other) and cook, stirring it a bit for another minute.

  Add in the tomatoes, the Parmesan cheese rind (or cube) and the cannellini beans and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.

• Add in the chicken broth, water, and salt to the pot, and increase the heat to high to bring it to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes until the pasta is cooked.

  Remove from the heat and remove the Parmesan rind (if you used a cube of cheese with no rind, it will just melt into the soup which is good).

  Taste the soup and season with more salt (1/2 teaspoon or so) and few grinds of black pepper. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the chopped parsley, and stir.

  Add the soup to bowls and serve immediately with more grated Parmesan cheese, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil in each bowl.

Notes

• Use ditalini, tubetti or conchigliette pasta. I used ditalini, which is a small, tube-like pasta that’s easy to find and used in recipes like pasta salad.

• Try pancetta instead of bacon if you’d like.

• Use vegetable broth instead of chicken if you prefer.

• It’s not traditional, but you could add sliced, cooked sausages to the top of this soup.

• This recipe is rustic and stew-like, so when you re-heat it, you’ll need to add a little water or chicken broth. Reheat it in a saucepan over medium heat, bringing it to a gentle simmer until heated through.