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The easiest Pasta Fagioli Soup (pasta e fagioli) made with sauteed veggies, borlotti beans, tomato and of course pasta! This Italian soup is hearty, super comforting and so flavourful. Serve it with some crusty bread and a glass of vino.
Pasta Fagioli Soup or Pasta e Fagioli is the kind of meal you want to curl up on the couch with like Tuscan Farro Soup or Creamy Mushroom Risotto, it’s hearty, filling and packed with incredible flavour.
Best of all it’s incredibly easy and costs next to nothing to make….hello, my favourite kind of recipes!
Pasta e Fagioli literally means pasta and beans in Italian and more often than not consists of a small pasta shape such as ditali, ditalini or tubetti and the beans are almost always borlotti beans (cranberry beans).
If you’re making this as a quick throw together dinner and don’t have borlotti beans you could use cannellini but I’d avoid using any other beans as the soup won’t have the same texture or flavour.
Pasta e Fagioli can range from super thick and chunky to thin and more “soup-like”.
I love the thick and chunky texture but you can easily thin it down by adding more stock you can also add less pasta to stop it thickening as much.
Pasta e Fagioli Vs Minestrone Soup
A lot of people ask what makes pasta e fagioli different from minestrone and to be honest they are two completely different soups.
Minestrone is packed full of different veggies which can change with the season, there are no rules or classic recipes for it (every Italian household pretty much has their own recipe).
Pasta fagioli soup is made with a base of carrot, celery, onion, beans and pasta. It’s thick in texture but doesn’t have any chunky vegetables in it like minestrone.
How To Make Pasta Fagioli Soup – Step By Step
Finely chop the carrot, celery, red bell pepper and onion.
Saute the veg in a large pot with a little olive oil for 5-10 minutes until soft then add the chopped garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes (photo 1).
Once all the veggies are soft add the chicken or vegetable stock and tinned plum tomatoes. Bring it to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes (photos 1-2).
Add the borlotti beans (cranberry beans) and simmer for 1-2 minutes then blitz around half of the soup for a smoother texture (photo 4-5).
Tip: You don’t need to puree the soup but I like to puree half of it for a smoother texture.
Next, add the pasta and the rest of the beans and simmer the soup for another 7-8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente, serve (photo 6).
Serving Suggestions
This pasta fagioli soup is so hearty and substantial that there’s no need to serve anything alongside it other than a big hunk of crusty bread (because you’ve got to mop your bowl clean) and of course a glass of vino.
I don’t think it can get any better or simpler than that.
Variations
I also love to make this soup with pancetta and rosemary the flavour combination is absolutely delicious!
I fry the pancetta first for a couple of minutes and then add the veggies.
Add the rosemary when you add the stock and that’s it, a simple and delicious way to switch things up.
Tips For Making Pasta Fagioli Soup
- If you are not eating this soup straight away then don’t add the pasta as it will swell and eventually turn mushy and very soft. Instead add as much pasta as you’re going to eat so if you only want 1 bowl, heat the soup up with just 1 small handful of dried pasta.
- If you don’t have borlotti beans you can also use cannellini (white) beans.
- If you prefer a chunkier soup then you don’t need to blend it. I prefer a thicker texture and like to blitz around half of the soup before adding the pasta. I like to use an immersion blender for this as it’s super easy and convenient.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen in a suitable container (without pasta).
More Easy Soup Recipes You Might Like:
- Green pea soup with leek and zucchini
- Vibrant green soup with pesto and greens
- Tuscan chickpea soup
- Pappa al pomodoro – tomato bread soup
- Comforting zucchini potato soup
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Step By Step Photos Above
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Pasta Fagioli Soup
Ingredients
- 1/1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow (white) onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 28 oz borlotti beans (cranberry beans), , canned or pre-cooked (800g)
- 1 cup small pasta shape, , ditali, ditalini or tubetti (200g)
- 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable), ( 1 litre)
- 14 oz (400g) canned plum tomatoes, (400g)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop the carrot, celery, red bell pepper and onion. Saute the veg in a large pot with the olive oil for 5-10 minutes until soft, don't let it brown. Chop the garlic and add it to the veg then saute for another 1-2 minutes.
- Once all the veggies are soft add the chicken or vegetable stock and canned plum tomatoes. Bring it to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the half of the borlotti beans (cranberry beans) and simmer for 1-2 minutes then blitz around half of the soup for a smoother, thicker texture using an immersion (hand-held) blender.
- Next, add the other half of the borlotti beans, pasta and simmer the soup for another 7-8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and soup has thickened, serve.
Video
Notes
- If you are not eating this soup straight away then don't add the pasta as it will swell and eventually turn mushy and very soft. Instead add as much pasta as you're going to eat so if you only want 1 bowl, heat the soup up with just 1 small handful of dried pasta.
- If you don't have borlotti beans you can also use cannellini (white) beans.
- If you prefer a chunkier soup then you don't need to blend it. I prefer a thicker texture and like to blitz around half of the soup before adding the pasta. I like to use an immersion blender for this as it's super easy and convenient.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen in a suitable container (without pasta).
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We’ve made this tonight as a team effort (housemate chops veg and serves, I do the pan-work 🙂 ) – two very full and happy boys right here now – thanks for the inspiration.
This is a classic! Does it freeze well?
Hi Madalaine, if freezing I would do so before adding the pasta then add it when it’s been defrosted and reheated 🙂
This is one of my favorite soups! Thanks for this!
Mine too, you can’t go wrong with it. Thanks Krissy!
I have made this for many many years my father was Portuguese. I am Portuguese. I would always add of course Chorizo to it. Absolutely DELICIOUS!! A very good recipe. Just spice it up any way you want…👍👍👍