Authentic Pasta Fagioli Recipe
This pasta and bean soup recipe is easy, tasty and delicious!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
0 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8
Calories: 208kcal
Cost: $10-$25
- 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
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.
- 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.
Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 624mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 1mg